The Crying Game
by TurnItUp03
Summary: M/M AU OCC. SLASH. OMC. Brandon Call, once a powerful teen, flees to La Push to reclaim everything he lost. But he didn't expect it to be the broken heart that his ex-boyfriend Tyler Lockwood gave him. So when Paul Lahote, another volatile wolf accidentally breaks down his walls again, will Tyler let him through without a fight? CROSSOVER: TWILIGHT-THEVAMPIREDIARES.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I've always been a fan of TVD, and I've wanted to write a fic involving Tyler Lockwood, but feared that I couldn't do the series justice. To start, this is a bit of an AU and OOC. It revolves around a OMC that had fallen in love with Tyler only to be used by him more than once, now that Brandon (OMC) decides to move on, he enters the twilight universe to get in touch with his roots, only to meet another volatile wolf by the name of Paul. Details have been left out for the readers to discover, but I can say that Brandon will face many challenges. So please, whether you're a TVD or a Twilight fan, I hope you give this a chance, otherwise, I will just delete this one. **

**D: Disclaimed**

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Prologue

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I'm trying to remember how I ended up in this situation. Leaving. Hurt. Lost.

I know that it hurts. I know that feeling of my heart squeezing so tight is because it doesn't know how to break. I think it's inflating itself with so much hatred and betrayal; it's preparing my insides to explode, than collapse into nothing. Or that throbbing ache along the right and left side of my brain, a vibration back and forth and forcing me to clench my eyes. It's probably the spells. I could've done more than I should have.

I guess this time I was running. Running because this time I was sure I was no longer needed or that I no longer wanted to be used. No matter what I told myself, it felt like this was end. I was carrying so much pain that I hadn't realized it would be such a burden. It wasn't supposed to hurt this much. But it did.

I've been living with my grandma Mimi in a place called Mystic Falls. A small down that seemed to vacate every supernatural being except humans. We were infested, and little did I know, my grandma and me were a part of it. We kind of were in a coven with old lady Bennett, my friend Bonnie's grandma. We were born into a strong line of witches, but of course, Bonnie discovered it before I had. I guess I was a late bloomer, but that didn't stop me from becoming one of the strong ones.

I guess it's time for introductions. My name is Brandon Call.

I live with my grandma Mimi because my parents died in the hands of what my grandma call the enemies. Vampires. The Salvatore's to be specific. Damon in particular, of course if hadn't been for his brother saving his ass, my mother would have succeeded in ridding Damon.

But I'm sort of getting ahead of myself. Before I knew about the supernatural world, my grandma told me that my parent's died in a car accident, and she took me in, secretly teaching me about our culture. What I thought were the native teachings from our ancestors, were the powers she had known all along. Sometimes, growing up, I would hear people whisper about my grandmother being a witch, but I never believed in them. It would be too surreal. Bonnie and me grew up hearing this a lot, and we hadn't giving it much attention until Bonnie began believing it all.

I thought she was crazy.

Until I began to notice the strange things going on in life, especially high school, and that was the time that Stefan Salvatore came into town –or should I say when he returned and began wooing Elena Gilbert. Something about him didn't sit right with me, and when I approached Bonnie about it, she sort of felt the same way. I figured maybe he could be some sort of woman beater or something, I just never expected him to be a vampire.

With his arrival, came his brother, and my grandma insisting I pay attention to everything she needed to teach me. At first, I had to get in touch with the spirits within me. I thought she was crazy, but grandma mentioned that once I embraced them, I would begin to understand why she needed me to.

My social circle wasn't as big as Bonnie's, and all of her friends seem to change in some ways, and I was put in a predicament I thought I would never be in, Tyler Lockwood's path. I knew that him and Elena's kid brother Jeremy Gilbert had never really gotten along, and they fought over some chick named Vicky Donavan.

Unfortunately, I was vulnerable teen and naïve at the time, so when the first teen boy that came my way, I thought I had met the one. And that _one_ so happened to be Tyler Lockwood. The act of lust happened during one of the bonfire parties, and I hadn't expected it. He was drunk; I was tipsy, vulnerable and stupid at the time. He took me to his truck that happened to be parked far from the party, and promised to take care of me from then on.

I knew I was gay since I reached puberty, I just never could tell who was. Tyler's reputation was best known as the jock that slept with every girl he could, I wouldn't have expected him to swing my way. A part of me knew that this was a one-time thing, and after that night, he brushed me off as if I was another notch in his bedpost. Bull shit if you ask me. It was all because he was sure that Vicki was sleeping with Jeremy that he wanted to get even, and apparently she hated it when he would fool around with another guy. I became her target on prom night.

If it hadn't been for Bonnie, I would have been vampire bait, the same night Vicki had been changed. She used her new abilities to track me down and kill me. I was scared shitless the first moment I saw her and those evil eyes. Her fangs were long and already bloody, and she had me cornered outside where she figured no on would hear me. That's when Bonnie came to the rescue and sent her flying with a spell.

She dragged me to safety and told me to stay in one spot until it was safe. I don't remember much but her coming back to bring me home. When I had asked her what was going on, she explained everything to me. She even knew Vicki's reasons for attacking me, and told me to stand clear of Tyler from then on.

I was a bit in distraught when she mentioned that Tyler would soon be involved in this somehow.

From then on, I kind of lived in fear. Avoiding mostly everyone except Matt Donavan. The reason for that was because he was just too kind-hearted and he was the only one who didn't know about his sister's whereabouts. I felt guilty knowing the truth and not being able to tell him. Which is why I stopped being friends with him, that and the fact that Tyler was coming around more often too, and acted as if I was nothing most of the time I was around.

I heard him asking Matt why he spoke to me, and a couple times I was the reason they would argue. Even when him and Jeremy became friends, Jeremy began defending me in some ways. I think it was because he had a crush on Bonnie, and Bonnie was getting tired of Tyler's attitude.

I kept to myself, but remained observant as I began to embrace who I really was. If it hadn't been for my grandma, I would be clueless to how to defend myself, or keep myself hidden from all of the drama. At first, I needed to learn to use my powers to protect me, and the first thing I had learned was to levitate items, not sure what good that would do me. Thankfully Bonnie was there to help me too. Both of our grandma's were there to teach us too.

With Caroline Forbes, the sheriff's daughter being changed, it was about time I learned how to conjure fire and being able to manipulate it to make it grow rapidly. But it came to our surprise when the first ability I had learned was sending shockwaves throughout my hands. That and the simple spell of making any being feel internal pain; this would come in handy if a vampire had come close to me.

I witnessed Bonnie using it once on a vampire named Katherine, Elena Gilbert's doppelgänger that came to make the girl suffer. Bonnie was the only one she couldn't mess with, and soon she realized I couldn't be too.

With everything going crazy, and the town being exposed of vampire's by the council that had always fought together to get rid of them, kind of blew back in the mayor's face when he soon realized that him and his son Tyler Lockwood was affected by it.

That's when my grandma said I was ready to protect the other's along with Bonnie, and soon I would be there to make things right. I would be sent alongside Bonnie when we had to attend the house parties. If Damon, Stefan, Katherine or Caroline caused any troubles, it would be up to Bonnie and me to stop them. It was mostly Katherine that caused chaos, and gladly, I would put her in her place and often threaten that when it came time to end her, I would gladly do it.

Then it came to the matter of Tyler Lockwood. His lineage was discovered because his uncle came back into town, and the breed of werewolves returned to Forks. We were told that werewolves wouldn't really harm our kind, but that didn't mean that their animal instincts wouldn't kick in, and that meant testing us for their pleasure.

Before I was told to keep an eye on Tyler so he wouldn't fall to the curse, I was already too late the moment I had walked into his father's office to see him and Jeremy standing over a dead girl's body. I had no choice but to help them come up with a cover story, and call the police and tell them that a freak accident happened at Tyler's party.

Somehow, and for some reason, my grandma ordered me to keep a close eye on Tyler for his first shift. The full moon was more than two weeks away, and I had to learn how to help him control himself until then.

Neither of us liked being near each other in the beginning, but I had to tell him that I needed to help him get through this, and help him control himself during his first shift. He didn't believe me until I had to tell him what I really was. But that became difficult at the moment because Caroline decided involve herself too. But after dealing with Tyler for about a week with no response, I had no other choice but to paralyze him with pain, the same way Bonnie had shown Katherine. I told him that his first shift would be a lot worse than the pain I was inflicting on him, and if he didn't listen, than I wouldn't be able to help him find a way to cope with this. Of course, I didn't know what I was doing, but after that, he began to trust me.

We became closer, that's the one thing I didn't plan. But with it, came his anger issues, and somehow, I was able to handle it, but Caroline couldn't. She apologized to the both of us and told Tyler that she thought she could handle it, then she left. This upset Tyler even more, and frightened me in ways, but I still hung in there somehow. I hadn't known at the time that Tyler was crushing on Caroline, and having me around didn't help because that's when he told me I was his mistake.

That pissed me off and I made him suffer for what he said by practically shocking him into a coma. I told him that I was only there to help, and I would have left it wasn't for the fact that grandma told me the reasons that we may need him in the future. If we can form alliance with Tyler and his future pack, then he'd be able to help us finally get rid of all the vampires in Mystic Falls.

I hated hearing that we were just building an army, and I had almost refused to go forth with it until my grandma finally told me how my parents died. I needed to avenge them in some way, and that would be finishing off what they started, by killing Katherine and the Salvatore's.

According to the story, neither vampire knew of my existence, or the fact that I was the son of Andrew and Marie Call. I was the secret weapon that happened to inherit my parent's abilities.

With Tyler in the picture, I had to tell him of my ambition at one point, and he couldn't believe that I planned to get rid of the Salvatore's, especially when they almost seemed indestructible.

During the last week before his transition, our life stories became known to each other, and the closer we knew each other, the more I had realized that maybe Tyler was a good guy, and that maybe, I was falling in love with him.

Once again, I had ended up with him, but this time in his bed. I figured we'd regret it all the next day, but it came to my surprise to know that he wanted me next to him for the whole night. From then on, I wasn't sure what the relationship status we held. It was hard to tell if we were friends, or more than that. We hadn't really spoke about it, and the more time spent with him, I've seen a different side of Tyler.

Then came the full moon when we finally discovered the hidden dungeons below the Lockwood manor. I decided that I would lock him up in the chambers securely before the moon rose, and he would remain locked in the dungeons until the next day. But he didn't want me near the place in fear that he might hurt me. He was beginning to really feel the affects of it and the only thing he could think of was to kill. This scared him the most and he made me promise him that I would run far from here until it was safe for me to return.

I almost didn't make it out of there in time, but that hadn't stopped him and his uncle from changing that night and killing a couple unknown vampires during the process.

I didn't know how to react when I noticed that Tyler was laying below my window seven in the morning, naked and unconscious. I did what I could, and thankfully I knew the levitation spell, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to carry him to my bed to make sure he was okay.

My grandma began questioning my intentions with Tyler, and warned me that falling for a shape shifter could be dangerous. I wanted to believe her, but I guess it was too late. When she left, Tyler woke up and asked me what had happened, and why he was at my place. I told him what I knew, and he surprisingly thanked me and asked me to lay next to him.

I guess that was the time he actually made love to me.

I was lost in his touch, and he was so gentle and caring with me, I was sure that this wasn't Tyler, but a man that was actually falling in love with me. He laid with me for most of the day and we began talking about how crazy our lives were turning out to be. I was shocked to find that he asked me about dating, and if I was willing to go public if had ever decided. I was okay with it, but I wanted him to be. Who knew that was close to impossible.

When it came time for him to go, he promised to call me later, which he had.

I was sure from then on that things would get better, and in the beginning they had. Tyler would often come visit me, or he would bring me to his place whenever his parents were gone. I knew that we were a secret at the time, but something seemed a bit off. I told him that if it was just I, it had to be just me, which he couldn't sleep around anymore; otherwise, I wouldn't stick around.

But that hadn't lasted long, and neither did the fairy tale I made up in my head. Because around that time, the vampire's known as the Originals had made there way back to Mystic Falls, and Bonnie and I were becoming targets for the oldest sibling Klaus.

The bastard came into my life, and began to show interest in me. Of course around this time, Tyler and I were constantly arguing and he was often called out whenever someone would tell me he was sleeping with almost every girl that came his way. I didn't expect him to be my boyfriend, but I expected him to at least tell me the truth rather than toying with my heart.

I didn't know what Klaus was at the time because he looked nothing like the enemy. I was working at the grill at the time, and happened to serve him when he slipped me his number. Boy I was stupid, but I was vulnerable.

It was Bonnie who told me that something was off about Klaus, and now that his siblings were in town, she was sure of it. As charming as Klaus was, I had to put my faith in my friend. So I told Klaus that I could no longer see him because of the age difference, my excuse is that my grandmother didn't approve of a sixteen year old dating a twenty-four year old. I wanted to believe him that age was nothing but a number, but that was his way of luring me in.

That's when everything came out into the open. They were hunting down Katherine and Elena for their blood so that Klaus could form his army of hybrids. Once again I was put on the spot when Tyler came to me yelling that I was sleeping with the enemy. That's when he admitted our broken relationship, that he was going to fight for me, but that was only if I could tell him honestly that I didn't lie in the same bed as him.

He believed me when I vented out to him that he was an asshole to think I was that easy. I was ready to say fuck it all and just end them all; Tyler kissed me in front of all of his friends. All of our friends. It was shocking to everyone, especially me. I would have never expected Tyler to come out to anyone, let alone a bunch of people in one moment.

He apologized for being an ass and promised to make it up to me. I was forgiving, but that didn't last for long when he became the target of Klaus. And when Klaus discovered that I was dating Tyler, he voiced it out Tyler that I would soon be his, and Tyler would become apart of the army he was building, and we no longer would be able to see each other.

Chaos broke from there. The more we tried protecting Katherine and Elena, the more insistent on claiming his prizes. Who knew that it would be that difficult, but with his siblings, Rebecca and Elijah, they easily took the blood samples, and for my punishment for going against him, I was forced to watch him use Tyler as his first experiment. I became Tyler's target; Klaus' plaything in his sick game, and my grandmother's secret weapon.

When Klaus wasn't screwing around with Tyler and my relationship by purposely sending him after us, my grandmother began training Bonnie and I along with Bonnie's grandma on how to finally getting rid of the vampire's for good; well at least these types.

I never knew what they meant at that moment.

But after discovering the consequences of ridding Klaus and his siblings, Bonnie and I discovered that we'd lose practically most of our friends. With Elena being recently changed into a vampire and Tyler being changed into a hybrid, we both came to a halt. It was just something we couldn't do, and if we hadn't, apparently we'd regret it.

But rather than luring Klaus and the originals in for their last minute of existence, we might have done the wrong thing by turning the tables and rewriting the spell and changing the ritual by not exactly destroying ever bit of them, but instead petrifying their bodies so they would remain immobile for years until either Bonnie or I released them. Thankfully, Allaric and the Salvatore brothers separated the bodies and hid them in different locations in the world where they would only find them.

It wasn't exactly the plan that we were supposed to go with, but Bonnie and I were sure that this would probably be the best plan so far.

I thought from then on things would be going great and Tyler and I could pick up the pieces where we left off. But he had become distant and began to ignore me, and I became restless knowing that I did most of it for nothing. Everyone was graduating and going their separate ways, so I decided that I would too. Seattle seemed to my best bet since I seemed to be losing everything that year, including my grandmother. She passed before she could see me graduate, and it really felt like my life was falling apart.

When Tyler discovered that I was the only one that was really leaving rather than joining the rest of the group, he started coming around again, trying to convince me to come with them. I just couldn't I felt that this chapter in my life was over with. Then he offered to change me.

At first I felt offended, I despised most vampires, and yet he was asking me to become half of one. I would lose everything I had become just to become a hybrid. His motive made sense at the moment; this was his way of making sure that we could spend eternity together. But even then, that was hard to believe that he was willing to spend the rest of his existence with me, and I realized that it was just something I didn't want.

I gave Tyler my answer, and he wasn't too pleased with it. It was more of blaming me now that I was the reason our relationship fell apart. He really made me feel like shit, and I knew that he was toxic, but a part of me was still in love with him. I wanted to make things at least tolerable, but he took it as something more.

He bit me.

It was supposed to be my goodbye that turned into my biggest mistake. I wanted him to know that the love was there, but not really worth saving.

I don't remember much from then on other than the shouting and screaming. The abuse. The hate. The blood. I fled the scene and found my way at Bonnie and her grandma's. By the time I reached them, the thirst was already getting the best of me, and all I could do was beg them to kill me.

The thing was, the bite was already killing me. I was immune to the change, but that didn't mean that I would live unless Bonnie hadn't done anything about it. It took several days for them to keep me alive and bring me back. Unfortunately, with reviving me, I would be back at square one.

I would need to teach myself how to use my powers once again, and I just couldn't do that here, which is why I've been driving for hours to a reservation known as La Push, to the only place where I had living relatives that might be able to help me. My aunt Tiffany and her son could help me regain what I lost.

I left everything behind to start over. Hoping that if I had ever had to return to Mystic Falls, I would never have to go through the same thing.

If only I could find the house now.

**A/N: I debated whether I should have switched Brandon with Jeremy Gilbert, what do you guys think. Should I leave it or change it. Anyways, please review and let me know it this is continue-worthy.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	2. Chapter 1

**D: Disclaimed**

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Chapter One

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I know the tears aren't worth it. But lately, I've gotten so used of them that I almost forget to stop.

It was enough to worry aunt Tiffany as soon as I arrived here in La Push. It took me awhile to find the house, but aunt Tiffany eagerly waited for me on her porch, as soon as she spotted my car she was already waving me down. Yeah –she's still the overprotective slash concerned auntie that she had always been known for. I guess she had always felt it was her duty to step in as a parent in some way since my folks passed. She would send me gifts on holidays and call me on my birthday and on any special occasion to congratulate me.

The problem was, I never really gave in the same effort. And here I was –crawling to her for help when I needed it the most. I know she didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve a lot of the things brought to her or given to her in her life. For example, the exemption from my grandmother –her mother, the one woman who was supposed to be there for her no matter the circumstances. But when she birthed a child out of wedlock, grandma Mimi wanted nothing to do with her, and she poured all of her attention out on me –another reason I feel so damn guilty that I'm here when my cousin Embry never had the privileges I had.

Grandma didn't even know his name.

I haven't seen him since we were kids though. The last time my dad brought me here before he died. At least him and mom were accepting. I have the picture to prove it. The one of dad holding me in one arm, and my cousin Embry with a big smile in his other arm. I guess since Embry never knew his dad, mine felt he needed to step in that role somehow. I didn't mind sharing him though, it kind of felt like I had the brother I always wished for.

But like I said. I hadn't seen Embry for a long time. He could despise me by now. He could be an entire different person than I had late seen him. I can only hope he forgives for practically ignoring him and auntie these past few years.

Aunt Tiffany was quick to welcome and showed me to my room; where I was right now, unpacking and trying my best not to fall apart where I was. I hated how weak I had become. How losing so many people and falling in and out of love can affect a person so much. There were days I just wish I was an ostrich so I could bury my head unground and ignore the world.

The blaring ring of my cell phone brought me back to reality. I already knew who it was since there was only one other person other than my auntie that knew my number. I quickly scrambled across the room to retrieve the loud device from my leather jacket.

"Bon- Bon?" I asked eagerly.

"Hey Bee-be." She replied with a chuckle.

"Fine!" I giggled, "hey Bonnie."

"That's better," she replied, "Hey Brandon? I'm guessing you made it there okay?"

"Yeah." I sighed, leaning back on my bed. "It's a lot different than Mystic Falls, and a bit more gloomier. Aunt Tiffany told me that I had better get used to the constant rain."

"Ugh, sounds depressing."

"Which was the reason I was beginning to question my decision." I said in a shaky voice.

"It's okay Brandon," she said in a comforting voice, "you'll be fine B, I know it's going to be hard, but you'll get through this."

"I just miss you." I wiped the tear that fell down my cheek. "It's kind of hard to adjust when you know you can't even go back."

"I miss you too." She let out a sigh, "I promise when the time comes, I'll come visit."

"That would be great, it gives me something to look forward to." I admitted.

"Now," she changed her tone, "just stand strong, get in touch with yourself again and make sure that you take care of yourself."

"As long as you do to?"

"Don't I always?" She said with cocky chuckle. "Love you, and I'll call you in a week."

"Love you."

Bonnie always had her ways of calming me, even if I already was. Speaking to her just made thing right. After going through all the crap we had, whom else could I trust to save my ass, just as much as I had done for her. She died once, and so had I. Of course, her friends missed her; Bonnie told everyone I was away for a family emergency until she could find a way to get me back. That was because I was trying to help Tyler escape Klaus' wrath. Imagine how pissed I was that Klaus snapped my neck to show Tyler where he stood with me, If he couldn't have me, no one could.

Being stuck in the spirit world was horrifying. I admit, when I first arrived in the lonely place, I searched for my parents, hoping that I would at least have a chance to see them again. But after finding that most had passed through the light, I almost gave up hope. But if it weren't for grandma Mimi's final words before walking into the light, I wouldn't have known that my time wasn't up yet, that I needed to return when the time was right to finish what I had started.

That's when Bonnie broke down the wall between life and death. Those who returned for vengeance, returned to the spirit realm before they could really do anything, and I was able to return with Bonnie's help. Jeremy Gilbert, Alaric and me; all came back and caused my best friend to suffer.

It was up to me to close that wall before it was too late.

"I hope you're hungry?" I gave my aunt a smile before nodding. "That's good, and if you eat just about as much your cousin Embry, then I hoped I cooked enough."

Before making my way to the dinner table, I went to freshen up in the bathroom and wash my hands. I at least wanted to be presentable. As I look in the mirror, I've come to realize that my appearance hasn't changed much since high school. I hadn't grown much passed five-ten, and my hair has always been the comb over hairstyle with a bit of gel to give it texture. My complexion has always been lighter than most in my family, and so have my eye color. I even tried to buff it up a little, but a barely visible six pack and a bit of muscle on my arms and legs is what I could achieve. At least I wasn't a complete twink.

"Brandon?"

"Yeah?" I could hear my auntie shout from the kitchen.

"Dinner is ready."

"I'll be down in a moment." I replied as I finished washing my face.

I could hear another voice by then, and I was sure that it was Embry. But there were a couple more that I could hear, and now I wasn't sure if I wanted to make an appearance, because I knew that I would be up for introductions. I wasn't really in the mood to meet anyone else, but I couldn't be a snob about. So rather than procrastinating, I adjusted my shirt and fixed my hair a little before I finished washing up.

I was a bit nervous as I made my way down the hallway, getting closer to the voices and the kitchen. At least dinner smelled great.

"Ah, Brandon." Aunt Tiffany smiled, "just in time before the boys started digging in. You remember you're cousin Embry?"

"Hi." I replied shyly.

"Brandon!" He replied more welcoming that I had expected, "long-time-no-see cuz."

He surprised me with a hug, and came more surprising just how tall and big he was, and warm. His two friends were just as big as he was, all wearing muscle shirts and sport shorts and barefoot.

"Guys," he addressed the two, "this is my little cousin Brandon." He then turned to me. "Brandon, these are my bros Jake and Quil."

I nodded just as they had, both sharing the foolish grins that Embry had.

"Well," aunt Tiffany interrupted, "you guys better eat before it gets cold, Brandon, you fill up first."

I wasn't too synced into the dinner conversation because I hardly knew who or what they were talking about, but I tried my best to pay attention. When asked for my reasons of being here, I simply replied that I needed to visit family since I hadn't had the chance to. The guy Jacob and Quil seem to buy, but Embry knew my reasons. I just didn't want it to make it sound like I was a burden in any way.

In a way, I could tell that there were secrets, and I wasn't sure if my auntie was a part of it or not. When auntie asked Embry how late he would be in, she didn't seem too pleased when he said that it would most likely be all night.

Once they left, I helped auntie with the dishes before going to bed. I was over-exhausted and bit overwhelmed with the unwanted attention. I wasn't used to it, but the three of them seemed very outgoing and courteous. I would have to get used to it.

Just as auntie went to bed, so had I. I knew I would have to begin my recovery soon and that would I would have to begin my training as soon as possible. I'm sure auntie was up for it.

I guess everything was off to a good start.

The next morning was just as gloomy as the evening I remembered. Rain still fell, but this time, people were wandering outside. Kids were racing to their bus stops and parents were pulling out their driveways and leaving for work I was sure, that included aunt Tiffany.

"I made you breakfast on the table." She informed me as I made my way to the bathroom to clean up. "I left some of the history books with my stones and medicines on the table for you to look through."

"Thanks." Was all I could say.

"I should be home in time to make dinner," She shouted from her room before walking back to the living area. "Make yourself at home and don't be afraid to explore."

"Will do." I replied as I made my way to the dining table.

"Love you!" She shouted as she raced out the front door and to her vehicle.

Along with her own medicines, aunt Tiffany was a nurse at the medical center on the reserve while she still worked at the hospital in Forks. According to Embry last night, she was always busy, and that was something I needed to get used to. Frankly, I was a bit relieved that I could start practicing my spells without any interruptions.

By the time I had finished breakfast, Embry came back and went straight to his room.

He didn't say anything other than a quick 'hi.'

It didn't bother me nor did I feel it was my business. But something seemed a bit off about him since he only came back in a pair of shorts. He didn't even have any shoes, and the first thing that came to my mind was Tyler. I wasn't sure why, but there were times Tyler needed to carry just shorts. His clothes would shred every time he changed. The last thing I wanted to believe that my cousin was one like Tyler.

I picked up the history books my auntie held, but none seemed to be legitimate compared to archives grandma Mimi had. There was big difference actually. Aunt Tiffany knew that we had witches ancestor in our family, but her ideas were tarot cards and magic rocks. Mine was getting in touch with the elements and actually enforcing power upon the enemies.

The more I researched the books, was enough to make me realize that I wasn't getting anywhere. It all seemed like fairytales. So I put the books down and began reminding myself how I started. Which meant that I needed to get out of here and explore to find a grounding place.

But where to begin was the main question.

As I was about to leave after zipping up my jacket, the phone rang. I wasn't sure if I should answer it, but then I thought it could be an emergency, or aunt Tiffany calling with something important.

"Hello?" I answered unsure.

"Brandon? Honey?" It was aunt Tiffany, she sounded worried, "did Embry get home yet?"

"Yeah," I replied, "he just arrived about fifteen minutes ago."

"I need to speak to him, it's very important." She said quickly. "Oh, and Brandon, sweetie, I need to you to stay in for the day, the weather is getting to treacherous for you to be wandering."

"Okay," I said defeated.

"I won't be home till later either, so hopefully you can cook yourself some dinner."

"Yeah, I should be fine." I replied before knocking on Embry's door.

"Good, love you."

"Love you too." I replied, holding the phone in one hand while knocking with the other. "Embry? Sorry to bug you, but your mom is on the phone. She said it was important."

I could hear him shuffle and move around from behind the door before he yanked the door open, half-asleep with his hair all over the place. He was still only in his shorts as he grabbed the phone and thanked me before walking passed me.

He didn't say much after hanging up the phone other than that he would be back later, than quickly leaving without as much as an explanation. Once again, I was left to myself, a bit frustrated and bored.

Watching TV didn't seem to help much, and trying to focus on attempts to revive my powers was going nowhere. As much as I tried to even levitate the rocks my auntie had, they wouldn't budge, and I was getting a little annoyed that I felt useless.

Time lagged and I found myself cleaning as I blasted my iPod on the sound system to clear my mind.

By the time the evening began to settle in, I decided to make dinner for the three of us, just in case they both came home. But, by the time nine 'O clock came rolling in; I knew that I would most likely be left alone. I was right when my auntie called around ten letting me know that she wouldn't be home and that she would be at the hospital since something came up that she would explain when she would get home.

So, I ended up in the house alone on my second night, and I was a bit depressed about it. I hated being alone. As long as I knew that there was someone else in the house, I would be fine, but lately I would get restless. Like always, it took me longer than the usual to fall asleep.

Lonely nights usually left me to the dreams that turned to nightmares. The ones where life was perfect, and that were with Tyler. As much as I wanted to hate him and loathe him, I missed him like crazy. The good side of him of course, when he was comforting and caring. Then it would always end with him using me, treating me like crap and expecting me to stay. I hated him for that. It always seemed easier to picture his angry side than anything, and I witnessed that more than often.

I woke up in a sweat more than once. Crying and wishing that the memories would fade with the tears; it just was never easy controlling my emotions anymore. I was a wreck, and still am. It wasn't fair that I was going through this when I was sure that Tyler was most likely moving on like none of this meant anything to him. He didn't seem to care much anymore, and he often blamed me for that.

I kind of wished that I listened to grandma and Bonnie when they seen me falling for him. They knew he was trouble; I was just too stubborn to see it. I didn't want to see it. I was caught up in a messed up fairy tale, thinking that a relationship meant the constant break-ups and the insecurities of not knowing whether we were together or not. I think I made up most of it in my head.

The times I believed we were an item, probably were the times Tyler thought I was crazy. It was a bitch knowing that I was his plaything too at times. How he used me to get to Vicky, then Caroline. I was a pawn on his board, waiting to be attacked so his ass would be saved every time. I haven't felt more stupid when I discovered it.

It was about six in the morning by the time I was able to sleep again, and once again, there was Tyler, haunting my dreams. He was in his wolf form this time, hunting me down just as his animal instincts forced him to. He was never strong enough to control who he was. They said he was turned through a curse, but I think it was impended through anger rather than the death of a human, it just happened to be the full moon that triggered it, because from then on, he could change when he wanted to, especially when he became a hybrid.

Running through the forest never helped, but thankfully I had my powers still. In my dreams, they were always there. I still remember the haunting images of Tyler's angered wolf when it hunted, and every time I would have to either send shocks through his body, or implement the pain he needed to feel to change back.

I was glad to find that I was awakened by the voices. They weren't loud, but they were noticeable. I was sure that aunt Tiffany probably invited more guests over for introductions, that or it was something entirely different. I figured I would have a shower before anything since I hadn't the day before. I was feeling a bit groggy and a little tired still.

I made my way to the bathroom and grabbed one of the clean towels in the closet in the bathroom. It felt great to have a nice warm shower, the heat felt great against my skin, and I hadn't felt more relief. It was relaxing. I didn't stay in that long though, I didn't want to spend my morning deep in thought, and usually showering gave me that time.

I brushed my teeth and gelled my hair a little before exiting the bathroom and back into my room. I was a bit nervous to even see who was here, but I knew I couldn't avoid it. It would be rude of me to sleep the day away, or even for me to stay in my room just to avoid any uncomfortable greetings.

I opened the door and slowly made my way down the hall and into the living area and kitchen. My hands were tucked into my pocket as I shyly peeked around the corner to see aunt Tiffany in the kitchen talking to three other women I hadn't recognized.

"Oh, Brandon, dear," she said almost burning her lips from her coffee "I'm sorry sweetie, but I thought I'd let you sleep."

"It's fine auntie." I said simply. Trying my best to be civil.

"I apologize for introduction under these circumstances," she wiped her hands on her apron, "but ladies, this is my nephew Brandon Call." The women nodded politely, "he just moved here from Mystic Falls. Brandon, this is Sue and Leah Clearwater," she pointed to the first two women, "and this is Emily Young."

"Pleased to meet you." Emily said kindly.

"Brandon?" She sat down and ushered me to sit next to her, "it's unfortunate that you had to come here when we have to face such a tragedy." The three others sat around the table too, "I was called into the hospital last night because of an accident. Sadly, it claimed the life of one of the young women from here. Her family is taking it very hard, and we gathered here to make preparations to help her family get through this. So the next few days I will be helping out with the services as much as possible, so I won't be here."

"I understand." I replied sadly, feeling pity for the family's loss.

"Embry will be his friends during this moment of grief as well," she informed me, "unfortunately, it happened to be Jacob's sister that had lost her life, so Embry will be by his side as much as possible."

"Is there anything I can do?" I didn't know why I asked, but I figured if they needed any help with anything, I could try.

"Nothing for now." She responded with a hug, "but Emily and Leah will be making food preparations for the wake, maybe they could use a hand?"

"Sure."

It was a shock to hear this. I didn't ask much about who the woman was, but Emily and Leah seemed to know her well. It was saddening to see them all grieve, and I couldn't be much of support with me being an emotional wreck. But I tried with every effort to put my stuff aside to help out as much as I could for the next couple days.

It was bittersweet to hear Emily and Leah tell the stories about growing up with her and her sister, apparently she was a twin; her name was Rachel Black. The four of them were best friends, even after they all wen their separate way for college, they all returned and kept their friendship.

I found out that their mother died in the same situation years ago, leaving their father paralyzed. Somehow the family moved on from it. They said that Jacob stayed with their father while the twins went to college, after awhile, Rachel returned and Rebecca moved to Hawaii with her husband; she was due to return here within a day.

But nothing seemed to compare of the fairy-tale love she had with a certain man she began dating when she moved home. According to Leah, Rachel tamed Paul and made the used-to-be volatile jerk into a soft caring man. Paul used to always be angry, but ever since him and Rachel began dating, all of that changed because Paul wanted to be a better man for her, to be her husband one day.

It kind of made me think of Tyler and what I had hoped for him. Wishing I had the ability to at least change his ways for the better. But knowing this now and hearing their story, I'm guessing soul mates do exist. Because I was nowhere to being close to being Tyler's. Whoever that was, they were still out there, and I was here, trying to find myself again.

"What brought you here anyways?" Emily asked.

"I came here to start all over I guess." I shrugged, not wanting to go into detail. But both Leah and Emily stared at me curiously. "I never knew my parents, they died in accident too. My grandma raised me, but she passed before I graduated. My aunt and Embry seem to be my only living relatives I have left, and I've never had the chance to get to know them."

"I'm sorry to hear about your losses?" Emily apologized. "It seems too many stories relate nowadays, ending in tragedy. But it does get better?"

I nodded.

"What about your boyfriend?" Leah asked. I coughed being caught off guard.

"Leah!" Emily scolded her, "that's not polite."

"I'm just stating the obvious." She shrugged. I had to give her props for being so honest.

"He was a mistake." I murmured. Both of them now paying attention. "I was chasing someone who couldn't even define himself. Trying to change him just changed me in so many ways. I'm not going back."

"No one said you had to." Leah replied bluntly. "Just remember that he's not the last one out there."

Easier said than done. I've heard it a lot, but it didn't make it any easier. If there were a quicker way to get over someone, I think it would have been discovered by now. But that didn't mean that Leah wasn't right. And that's what I really needed in my life was honesty. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad getting to know her.

Maybe this change wouldn't be so bad.


	3. Chapter 2

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

The grief was heavy.

Something I had grown familiar too. But this was permanent. Sometimes bringing someone back from the other side had great purpose, but in situations like this, I've come to learn that people needed to go peacefully. Besides, our family has played with death more than we should have, and Bonnie and me were proof of it.

Yet I felt pity for the family as I watched them say goodbye to the young woman. Tears were shed, and the pain was visible. Out of respects, I remained in the background in silence, waiting to see if I was needed in any way. I even found myself crying a few tears as I watched everyone grieve in their own ways.

It was a great effect on Jacob and his family. I didn't have to feel the emotions to know that it hurt like hell; especially for the boy they called Paul. He reminded me so much of Tyler. He only let a few tears fall, but I could see that he wanted to scream at the world. He was mad at the world –that much I could tell, and I couldn't really blame him. Heard from word, the man was madly in love with the woman, and she was the only one who could make things a bit better for him.

And she wasn't there to hold him and tell him that things would be okay.

I wondered if things would be okay for him.

I know how it feels to be alone. It's like a thousand words were left unspoken. Some things we wish we could say are now kept words. No matter if they were spoken, you could never be sure if they would be heard. I call them crying games. Tears that flow without a path to follow, purposely carrying the agony and sinking back through your skin like recycled toxic wastes. Never leaving unless someone is there to wipe them away.

"You can go home now Brandon." Aunt Tiffany whispered into my ear as she gave me a hug. "I'm sure that everything will be fine for now."

"Alright." I wiped the tear from my cheek. "I'll see you at home, let me know if you need me."

I knew most people hadn't known me yet, so I didn't really want to overstay my welcome. As I snuck through the crowd, some people had noticed me. Even though it was awkward for me, I knew they'd be curious in some way. It sure did feel good to get out of there though.

To be honest, it was more than I could handle.

Emotions were always too fresh with me. I felt like an empath sometimes, but that was kind of being a part of who I was. Sometimes my spells were based on emotions. If they were strong, they gave the spells the energy they needed, especially if they were my own. I guess that's why it was easy for me to put Klaus away because I burdened so much hatred for him. I wanted him to be the one too, but it would have never worked in the beginning, especially after he snapped my neck out of vengeance. I wouldn't give him a chance to apologize even if he tried.

I found myself walking in the opposite direction from the Call's house. I was walking towards the beach I believe, or so; I began following the trail that seem to lead further into the forest. Maybe this is what I really needed to get in touch with my spirit, my inner being, and my magic. The elements would find some way for me to call on something. I didn't like being helpless.

The scenery was beautiful. The ocean clashed with the pillar cliffs that stuck out further out to the beach. The trees swayed as if they were dancing with the waves to the wind blowing and the birds cawing in the distance. I could feel the mist fall onto my cheek as I walked further up toward the top of the trail.

I followed it longer than I had planned, and it seemed that there were stops where people would meet and eat. There were homemade picnic tables at a few stops, but I thought it was a bit ridiculous to have a picnic right at the edge of the cliffs; it didn't seem like a place where you'd bring children.

Finally I reached the end of the trails and at the peaks of the cliffs. The ocean reached the horizon. In a distance to my left, I could see the shoreline until it faded into the mountains in a distance. I could definitely get used of the nature of it. Mystic Falls always seemed so dark and aged. I think the founding families had something to do with it, especially the Salvatores.

It wouldn't take them long to taint the beauty of this place. Damon is so careless he'd put fear into the people that lived here. Stefan would leave a blood-trail because he has a habit of going back to his old self; the ripper. I just hoped that this place would be vampire-free as well as none of them actually coming here to claim something that wasn't theirs.

It always seemed to be a habit of most vampires. They invaded homes like termites and killed any human in their path, and most of the time for sport. I hated how they used humans and compelled them to forget. I've been thankful more too that it didn't affect me, well not anymore at least. Tyler and Klaus tried it on me. Once they discovered my powers practically worked as a shield, they basically used me as a weapon for their own pleasure.

Man, I was so damn naïve.

I sat with my legs crossed as I stared out into the calming evening. I began meditating to calm my nerves. Slowly chanting until I could call upon my magic, hoping it wouldn't be such a task as it was before.

I could feel the wind blow softly against me, the smell of the salty waters and cedar and pine trees filled my nostrils. All that could be heard was the ocean below me as it crashed into the shore, an eagle in a distance screeching then whistling, different animals behind me as they chitter-chattered before quieting down as the day began to settle.

I was sure how long I sat there, but the air turned crisp and the sky darkened. I figured I'd better make my way back before aunt Tiffany sends Embry out on a chase for me. Poor guy doesn't need to worry about me, especially after having to be his best friends support for the past week.

I found some source of relief though. The peace and quiet was enough to make me feel free. Like I could breathe again. I could think again. I could recall the chants I had forgotten, well, some of them. But the thing is, Bonnie mentioned that the powers I once had could be replaced with something far more different. They could either evolve or disappear completely. I was rooting for evolution.

Even though I used to hate being a witch, it was now in my blood, and I didn't think I could handle not having any of it. Maybe I'd do the same as Bonnie as gain the power of healing and manipulation. She sure knows how to make people suffer when she plays with the wind, I know it pisses Damon off when he can't get his way.

Most vampires are like Damon when it comes to our kind. Witches are powerless towards them, but they tend to forget that their species were created because of one of us. If I could even grasp onto that type of power, than all vampires wouldn't exist. Of course that means that most Mystic Falls would fall into a ghost town, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about saving people I don't really care for.

It was then I felt it. That chill. That eerie feeling that someone was watching me, like I was either being hunted, or I was being challenged. Either way, I couldn't step down nor could I run. They'd attack and I have nothing to go against them. I knew what it was. It was that same chill that crawled up and down my spine when I first met Damon. Vampire.

I turned quickly to check my surroundings. Nothing. But I could feel that they were still watching me. I couldn't see them, but I could feel them. The moon was now rising with the clouds covering part of the sky. It was enough to light some of the forest, but still not enough to show me.

"Who's out there?" I whispered, knowing that they would hear me.

No response.

"Fine, let's try this then." I muttered to myself.

I began tracing a line on the ground around me, concentrating on the chant as I continued to trace a circle in front of me until I noticed the dirt lifting with my finger. I knew then I couldn't lose focus as I continued to chant and move my finger faster until the wind picked up. I had to act fast now, so I did.

With the final chant, I pulled my arm back that turned the air into cyclone and shifted my other arm forward as I pushed it forward, sending the small, but powerful twister in the direction I was sure that I was being watched.

It crashed right into target.

It was a woman who ended up flying back from the gust, but a man was quick to catch her as they both went tumbling through the dirt. Rather than staring in amusement, I had to react quickly, so I through another one not as powerful as before, but it was enough for them to tumble back again.

"RUN!" The male commanded the female as she stood up only to be hit by another one of my blows. I knew I was going up against something far more powerful then me, but I wasn't going down without a fight. It took a lot of strength to send another gust of wind there way, but rather than the woman receiving the impact of it, the man was able to block it, sending him flying back once again. "I SAID RUN!"

"I'LL GET HELP!" She hollered back before she disappeared in a blink of an eye.

I knew I was screwed by then.

The male vampire was already in attack mode and making his way to me. He was quick, but him being as big as he was, made him slightly clumsy just as he missed me by an inch. I turned as quick as I could and swung once, sending another gust of wind his way just as I ran in the opposite direction. I was too afraid to look back now.

I had to think quickly.

But it felt as if it was too late. His arms were now wrapped around me as we crashed into the forest's floor, tumbling through the wet soil and the brush. His grasp was enough to hurt me, but it was almost as if he was trying his best not to crush me. Once again I chanted and slammed my fists against his chest, sending him straight up before he came crashing down beside me.

"I CAN DO MUCH WORSE!" I screamed as I crawled away from him. "DON'T THINK I WONT."

"NO!" he put his arm up, "No more. Please."

I paused in question, holding the wet dirt in my hand trying to think of my next move, "what?"

"We meant no harm." He now looked up and stared at me with his dark eyes. "I was only defending my niece, we never meant any harm."

"Then why didn't you answer me?" I asked frustrated, "and how can a vampire mean no harm?"

"We won't." He stood up slowly and cautiously, "we were only here to visit someone when you came. We don't hunt humans, we're strictly animal hunters."

"What?" I stared at him like he was crazy. "You don't look like most vampires."

"Because we aren't." He stood still, "it's actually hard to explain."

"What about the girl?" I stood up still ready to attack, "she said she was going for help?"

"There's not much time to explain." He looked up just as I could hear a loud howl. "You must head back to where you came from, as quick as you can. I'll tell them I got rid of you."

"Who?" I asked now worried.

"All of them." He began pushing me forward, grabbing my arm as he led me to the trail, "if they discovered our meet, not only will my family question it, but so will the pack. It's not safe."

"Who? What?" I walked faster.

"Just go!" He demanded before he took off in the opposite direction.

I was in panic mode now. To think that there were more like him… and a pack. What was I going against? How much trouble had I caused not knowing about it? I just kept running. But that didn't seem to stop the chaos because now there was more howling, and heavy footsteps.

I was running out of breath. My body was feeling weaker after using the wind spell. It took a lot out of me, and I was sure that I would need to think of something to get out of here free. But it all seemed too late.

"It was you!" In a quick second, my arm was in the grasp of someone cold, but not the same man as before. Just as fast as he grabbed my arm, he swung me around to face him as he grasped both hands on my arms, now staring into my eyes. "Explain yourself!" he demanded.

"LET ME GO!" I demanded. I tried yanking myself away, but the more I tried the more it hurt. He was crushing me and I had to do something. So I did.

I pulled my hands forward and grasped my hands onto his cold ones before chanting and calling upon the one power I was sure I could use at this very moment. Before he could react, I could already feel the energy rush through my body and to my hands where I gripped on tighter. He screamed for me to let him go, but I wasn't about to let him get away with what he had already done to me.

My hands were burning his flesh. The same jolt of energy Bonnie used on Katherine was the same thing I was doing, but with the agonizing burning that was now making his hard skin crack.

We had an audience now.

Just as the man was falling to his knees, another one came charging towards me, "COME ANY CLOSER AND HE'LL BE NOTHING BUT ASH!" I shouted back at her.

As they all seem to step back, I began to loosen my hold on the one below me. I knew what the vampire meant now about the pack. There were wolves. Giant wolves about the size of a horse, just like Tyler. I scanned the pack to realize that none were him.

Just as I let the vampire go, he dropped to the ground with his hands in the air as he cried out in pain. I stepped back cautiously as one of the other male vampires came rushing to his aid. I still backed away with fear, but the man said he wouldn't harm me.

But before I could respond to any of them, my sight went black and my body fell to the ground as I fell unconscious

I could hear the muffled voices of aunt Tiffany and I was sure was cousin Embry. She was worried. He was assuring her that I would be fine. I was still too tired to even open my eyes. I was sure I was dead at first. But after realizing that I was most likely in recovery mode, I didn't want to wake up and realize that I made the mistake of coming here.

I lay there for more than an hour until I couldn't hear anyone.

Opening my eyes seemed to be a task too. But I was thirsty and weak. I had to get up and face the world once again. This time I was in pain. Agony was more like it. My body ached, and I was sure that I had broken a couple bones.

"You're awake sweetie." It was aunt Tiffany coming in with a glass of water and what looked to be fresh cooked meal. "I figured you'd be up eventually. I hope you're hungry dear."

I couldn't reply or answer her, but I slowly lifted my head and pointed at the glass of water. She handed me the glass and help me lift my head as she brought the glass to my mouth. "You won't be able to move for awhile sweetheart." She explained as she continued to help me. "You're whole body took quite a toll on itself, luckily there aren't any broken bones though," she chuckled. "You had me worried Brandon," she continued as she helped sit up. "I wish you weren't so adventurous as your cousin," she chuckled again, "but it's good to hear that you were able to tap into your abilities again, I just didn't think you'd do so much damage."

"What?" I asked in a raspy tone.

"According to Embry, you fended off the Cullens and severely injured one of their members," she explained she handed me a plate of food, "his hands are burned through the flesh, Dr. Cullen says he'll take about a week to recover."

"I didn't mean to."

"They know that." She smiled, "we all do, but you sort of upset the man by attacking his daughter, he was only defending her."

I didn't say anything. I never did trust any vampires, but I did feel sort of guilty for what I had done, especially since half of them were mentioning they wouldn't hurt me. But the fact was, they did. Back home, vampires didn't give a damn if they made you suffer; it was in their nature to wreak havoc.

But I did get in touch with my powers, which means my magic is slowly coming back to me. I'll just have to learn how to control my level intake. It's easy for any witch to have a power overdose. But that doesn't mean we can't recover.

Most of the evening was fill with aunt Tiffany checking on m, then Embry telling me that he was glad that he was okay. I guess they could tell I had questions, so he offered to answer when I was stable enough to handle it. I guess it was only right. The vampire's were different, but so were the werewolves.

The moment I seen them, I was guilty for hoping Tyler was one of them. It still sucked that I missed him. I tried not to, but he's in my mind more than I appreciate it. I've never met Tyler's pack, maybe one or two members, but they were always killed off my Klaus' army. It was his way of making sure Tyler knew that he was alone.

That is what made me feel guilty at most. I left too. But that didn't mean he came chasing right after me, or that he cared for what he did to me. I almost died because of his stupidity. I wonder if these wolves knew how dangerous they could just be.

These wolves were more majestic though. I could remember the evil I would see in Tyler's, but these ones had some sort of purity to them. Whoever they were, they sure were more considerate than the vampires. I just can't understand why they had an alliance. I always thought they were sworn enemies. Tyler and Klaus were proof of it. It was hard to deal with the fact that they both said they loved me and yet they had no problem putting my life at risk.

I did feel better by the next morning though, my body stopped aching as much, and my headache was practically gone. It did take me longer to get to the kitchen and eat just as well as doing anything else. After having a shower and getting ready for the day, aunt Tiffany was already calling a few people over that I had no clue they were other than Jacob and Quil.

"What's going on?" I asked feeling uncomfortable.

"We'll explain in a moment dear." Aunt Tiffany whispered as she handed me a cup of coffee.

"Brandon? Is it?" One of the taller men spoke. I nodded. "The name is Sam, your aunt tells us that you're a witch?"

I glared at my aunt by then, it wasn't her secret to tell. I nodded again. Now all eyes were on me.

"Would you mind explaining to us why you've come here?" He asked. "For safety precautions mostly."

"I'm no more danger than the wol… I mean the other supernatural beings around here." I said in defense. "I was taught to use my powers to protect my family and those who needed it."

"You mean the vampires and the wolves?" He asked. I nodded. "Well, I can assure you that they won't harm you either. They're here to protect the people and live like civil people." Sam explained, "I can only assume that you will cause no troubles."

"Look." I sighed in annoyance, "I only came here to recover from a life I had lost back home. I just wanted to start over. Whatever had happened yesterday was under self-defense."

"Then why attack first?" Jacob asked angered, and I couldn't understand why he was staring me down since we got here.

"Because they were vampires!" I said bluntly. "What else was I supposed to do? I've hunted them since the day I discovered my abilities."

"But they didn't do anything to you!" Jacob replied more upset, "you just attacked Nessie, then Emmett without giving them the benefit of the doubt."

"You don't give vampire's chances where I come from!" I almost shouted back. "You kill them before they can get you. I've lost most of my abilities, but if I hadn't known what to do yesterday, I could've been killed."

"They wouldn't have harmed you." Jacob grumbled.

"The one I burned seemed to think different." I argued back.

"Edward was upset because you attacked his daughter." One of the others explained, "it was better him the Jacob getting a hold of you."

"Is that threat?" I glared at the man.

"Not at all." He smirked, "but you never harm anyone's imprint?" What are you talking about?"

"Imprint?"

"Renesmee!" Sam spoke again, "the moment you attacked her, was the moment you sent Jacob in a frenzy. Attacking Renesme means that the entire pack has to make that she was okay, which is why we showed up last night?"

"You?" _Of course! Why didn't it click in that they were the wolves?_ "You're the werewolves?"

"Shifters!" Sam said, "there's a difference, I can go into detail, but not at the moment. "

"What about the vampires? You have an alliance with them?" I asked confused.

"No, not exactly," he said in a calm manner, "we formed a treaty with their coven that protects them from us if the follow the regulations of it. They can't hunt or kill a human. And, the can't change a human into one of them."

"How do they survive then?"

"Animal blood." He answered.

"But I thought they couldn't." I felt like a fool, "Damon and Stefan said that animal blood was never enough to sedate them, that's why they were permitted to a supply from the medical clinics."

"Then you've been fooled." Sam informed, "but be as it may, Carlisle says that it takes a lot of self-control in order to maintain their diet. The slightest slip can send them into a frenzy."

"And you trust them?"

"So far they haven't giving us any reason not to." He shrugged, "but listen Brandon, we've come to you with a few questions."

"Okay," I replied unsure, "like what?"

"We've discussed this with the council, and they've heard the rarities of your kind nowadays," he continued. "One thing that was brought up was the strengths in your abilities. Some are known to show signs of it and are able to get in touch with their spiritual side; like Tiffany. But there are the more powerful ones that have re-wakened once they tapped into physical side; like how you displayed the other night."

"Okay?"

"Well, we're hoping that you're able to help us."

"How? And why should I?" I didn't mean to sound rude, but I just didn't want to get involved really.

"It is said that you're healing abilities can be strong enough to help our kind survive." He said.

"What are you getting at?" I asked confused.

"I'll just get straight to it." He seemed frustrated for even having to ask this, "One of my pack brothers is dying. I'm asking if you are able to help him recover from the loss he is recently facing; if you're able to weaken the impact in some way, or perhaps break the bond he once had."

"I've never heard or done such a thing." I admitted, "but I can ask someone who may be able to help me."

"You'd be doing us a great favor." He seemed upset, "I know that Paul wouldn't appreciate that we ask this of you, but I am not willing to lose one of my brother's because an imprint says so."

"Imprint? You want me to break an imprint?" I asked confused, "I don't know anything about it, but I will talk to someone who can educate me on this."

"Please, in any way, if you can hurry." Sam pleaded, "I don't mean to rush you, but time is precious."

"I can only promise to try."

**A/N: Writer's block can be a bitch, and sometimes it limits your vocabulary as it seems. Sorry about it, but I just wanted the story to get by and have this delivered to you so I can keep moving forward. That's unless you guys forget to review... remember that they count for the story to continue.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	4. Chapter 3

**D: Disclaimed.**

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Chapter Three

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Bonnie said it wasn't right.

But a life was a stake, so she asked grandma Bennett for her advice. She discouraged it, but even she felt a shifter didn't deserve such a fate. I was told to give it my best, and be aware that there could be consequences to my actions. Now I wasn't sure. It was my decision to make.

For the past couple hours I was on the phone asking how I would go about this, and grandma Bennett suggested I call upon our spirit helpers as well as theirs and ask for a way to help the shifter live on without any ties. I would have to cut off the bond that he once had with the woman who passed. Then my healing powers would most likely be required to help him recover.

"So," aunt Tiffany asked, "any luck."

"I guess you can call it that." I sat a bit flustered next to her on the sofa. "Bonnie figures that its possible, when she spoke to her grandma, they suggested that I go forward with caution, usually our actions bare consequences. And since someone's life is at stake, they

suggested I do it, it's just how we are as a people and as a coven. Gram's sure would've wanted it."

"I know she would have," aunt Tiffany giggled, "as stubborn as that woman could be, I think she's proud of you."

When it comes to these kinds of moments, I wish I could just lie to her and tell her that her mom would be proud of her too, but she would call me out and tell me that her mom never did get along, and she wasn't looking for her approval even after her death. I still felt at fault because of it. It wasn't fair that I got to see just how great Grams was when aunt Tiffany and especially Embry never getting a chance to see that. I'm sure if Grams didn't hold so much pride, her and Embry would have been just as close as we were. I still didn't think it was right for her to blame Embry for any of it, but that's just how Grams was; unfortunately.

"Yet I could still hear her nagging at me for messing with magic." I figured I'd call her out on her flaws to make auntie laugh. "Well you can call Embry and let him know I'm ready."

"Alright," she giggled, "I still can't believe how you're powers had fully awakened as well as Embry's shifter genes; I have a son who's a wolf-shifter and a nephew that's a witch." She laughed once again before speaking to Embry, "Embry honey, Brandon is ready now, where are you… okay he'll be waiting. Bye bye."

"Why is that?"

"Embry is at Sam's, he should be here soon," she informed before sitting next to me again, "why is what dear?"

"Embry being a shifter rather than a witch like me? I don't get how we wouldn't be the same, especially if we're part of the same family." I wondered.

"Well," she cleared her throat; "you boys take on both of your father's abilities before your mothers. Since you're dad is born a witch, and Embry's father is from this tribe, you both became something entirely different."

"Can I ask you why you really moved here auntie?" I was always curious.

"Well it certainly wasn't because of Emrby's father," she smirked, "but it was more of finding a home to settle in, I was welcomed here at first until Joshua began to act suspicious and begged me to leave. I had nowhere to go, and ever since the news broke, I was always looked down by the people here, especially the women. I'm just happy that Embry doesn't suffer from it anymore. "

"Did he ever get a chance to meet him?"

She shook her head, "Joshua wanted nothing to do with him, and passed before Embry even knew who he was. Though I do feel bad that Embry will never who he is, I'm glad that he at least had your dad to fill the void."

"Yeah." I muttered, "I still miss them."

"I know," she smiled and hugged me, "but you hold a big part of who they were, the magic that flows through you is because of them. Remember that."

I nodded just as Embry came through the door. "You ready Brandon?"

"Yeah," I replied nervously, "I think I am."

"Great, let's go." I followed him to his 94' Chevy and hopped in the passenger's side.

"Are you sure that everyone is okay with this, especially Paul?" I asked just to be sure.

"Paul's not too pleased with us, and I'm sure that he'll be a bit distraught once he sees you." He admitted, "but he'll eventually understand why we need you to do this."

"So he's not okay with this?" I asked again. He shook his head. "I can't do it unless he agrees to it Embry, it makes it harder for me."

"We're willing to help in any way Brandon," he interrupted, "I wouldn't ask this of you B, but Paul is like a brother to us, and if you can do anything to help him, the pack will be at your debt."

"I don't want anything owed to me," I argued, "if he doesn't want this, why should I force him."

"Because we need him." He stated bluntly, sad and a bit bothered, "listen B, I know that this is a lot to ask," he continued as he continued to drive, "but Paul is hating the world right now, and we can't really blame him, but that doesn't mean we're willing to let him fade away from us just because an imprint says so. I believe that there is a reason you came here at that moment. Paul is that reason."

"Shit…" I muttered to myself, "you're probably right."

I didn't think of it much, but a part of me knew already, I just didn't want to face defeat and suffer from it. But yet, here I was arguing with my cousin when I was in no way in winning. For some reason, I was summoned here to help the shifter, and it's something I have to accept.

"I'll do it," I replied, "but I won't tolerate being called down to dirt because of it."

"Agreed, though I can't really say much for Paul, I'll try to make sure he behaves." Embry said ecstatically. "You won't regret this B."

Something deep down was already telling me that I was going in the wrong direction with this all. What kind of consequences would I face because of this, and would they care if I had?

The moment that Embry announced that we had arrived, I was ready to run away like a dog with it's tail between its legs. Whether is sounded ridiculous, it's the best analogy that compares to it.

Reluctantly, I followed Embry as he walked up the stairs to the entrance. The evening was just settling after the long rainfall, which made everything wet and drip from the old roof above us. I had to keep my breaths even and my body still. But everything kept running through me head that I could possibly screw up and make things work.

"Right through here." Embry ushered me down the hallway where a very big Sam stood waiting for me. I hadn't noticed it until the last second that there were several people waiting in the living area.

"Brandon," Sam whispered to me, "I know that this could be a difficult task for you, but just know that the pack is here to help you in anyways possible as well as the council. Paul can be very stubborn and against this, but I know in time he'll be appreciative of this in the end."

I was still nervous. But I kept nodding as if I knew what I was doing. As he placed his hand on my shoulder, it did give some sort of comfort. I could see why he was the leader; he really knew how to deal with the situation.

The moment I entered the room, the atmosphere was heavy with grief and pain. It was intense, and I didn't have to be an empath to know just how hurt this man felt. He looked pale, weak and discolored as he lay in his bed with a cloth on his forehead and a man sitting next to his bed.

As soon as he saw me, his body began to shake in fury, like he wanted to hurt me, and that scared me. I saw that face before with Tyler. Though he didn't mean it at the time, it was the face of someone who wanted to hurt the first person he saw, and unfortunately that person was me. Paul cursed under his breath as Sam and the other man began to hold him down to try and calm him, I remained standing where I was with my hands together. I didn't make a move until eventually he began to calm down. Both men remained by his side trying to convince him that I was just here to help.

Sam gave me the nod to continue, so I slowly began to pace forward towards the side of the bed next to where Sam was. I let out a deep breath as Paul watched me like a hawk. Slowly I kneeled next to Sam, and as small as I was compared to Sam, I had to hold my stance and let Paul know that I wasn't afraid, even though I was scared shitless.

"I call upon the spirits in this time of need." I closed my eyes and placed my elbows on the bed and began to pray. I continued to ask for help and chant until I could feel the energy shift in the room.

Paul hadn't stopped thrashing in his spot, shouting at me in anger. It made it difficult to concentrate. The more effort I put into it, I was thrown off constantly just when I could feel some sort of encounter with the spirit side. Paul wasn't letting me, and focusing was something I just couldn't do.

It's when the man began begging me to stop. Asking me how I could be so heartless? I could be so selfish that I would want to take away something that was his, someone who belonged to him. It was his final wish to join her. I was just an evildoer in his eyes because I wanted to take away the one thing that had made him happy. I began to cry.

"He's right." I let go. "He's so right." I began to sob.

Everything came crashing down on me and here I was being a hypocrite about all of this. A part of losing someone so special was grieving over the person, even if that made us weak and tired. It was similar to me getting over Tyler. I loved the man even though I tried denying it. Hating him was something that convinced me I was over him when I really wasn't. I missed him like crazy, even though he hurt me so much, I still loved him foolishly.

"You can't give up that easily." Sam begged.

"I can't do anything if he keeps blocking me." I argued, "there's spirits coming forward, but they can't unless he lets them."

"Please Paul," the other man begged, "he's only trying to help you."

"FUCK YOU!" He cursed out, I believe towards all of us. "NONE OF YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL!"

"I do." I muttered. Sam looked at me unsure, and so had the other man. "I'd like to speak to Paul alone."

The both looked at each other before looking at their pack brother; Paul gave a nod before they left the room. As the door closed, the room remained silent and the lamp on the side was the only thing that flickered on the side. I wasn't sure what I could say to the man to let him know I understood, but if I could just let him know that he wasn't alone in this.

"You're absolutely right Paul." I spoke softly, staring at my hands as I fiddled my thumbs, "none of know what you're going through because we all experience heartbreak in different ways. I get it, you lost your soul mate, and asking you to forget is selfish of us, but maybe remembering her and living for her memory just might be enough."

"I don't give a shit." He sneered, "Rachel's gone, what do I have left here if she isn't here to get me through it. It fucking hurts too god damn much for me to say that I want to live for her memory when that's all I have."

"But would Rachel want you to follow her so soon?" I figured I'd throw that out.

"You say that like you knew her." He growled, "you don't know a damn thing about her."

"But I've been in her position." I sighed exhausted, "being on the other side when someone is holding you there is just as painful as being here."

"And how the hell would you know?" He asked annoyed.

"Because I was killed by the person I thought loved me." He stared at me like I was crazy, "foolishly I fell for the enemy as well as being caught between a fate that I hadn't chose for myself. But because I loved someone else, my life was ended for vengeance. And I wandered the spirit world because the person I had loved wouldn't let go. He wouldn't admit it, but it's the one thing that kept me at bay just enough for me to come back."

"How the hell was that possible?"

"My best friend broke down the walls that had separated us and it gave me the opportunity to return," I explained, "she had enough strength to bring me back only for me to face the pain once again. The man I once loved, loved me so wrongly."

"Aw, fuck. You're one of them fairies." He growled. "Just my luck."

"You sound just like him." I said annoyed. "I was left with the shitty end of it in the end. I was constantly sent mixed signals because I was never good enough. Finding out eventually that I had meant something made it too late. I was so close to facing death once again because he wanted me to be with him eternally."

"Than why didn't you?" He asked as if he wanted to be entertained.

"He almost killed me and took away who I was." I admitted. "I lost everything because of him, and he didn't seem to care the moment I left. So I wiped everything in my past and moved forward knowing that somewhere out there I could do so much better, but first, I had to find myself again. I've been struggling for the past year to get back what was mine."

"Then bring Rachel back." He said simply. "If you're as powerful as you say you are, then bring my Rachel back."

"I didn't say I was powerful." I defended.

"Then what use are you to me?" He seethed. "Just leave!"

I sat in silence. Upset and defeated. I wanted to give up. I wanted to say the hell with it and just say I did what I could, but as stubborn as he was, he still needed my help.

"I could leave." I muttered, "but that would be way to easy for the both of us."

"I'm not asking for you to make it easy for me." He seethed. "I don't need some useless Harry Potter wanabe telling me different."

"You think I hadn't heard any of the jokes thrown my way?" I asked angered, "I know exactly how it looks when someone wants the easy way out, and several times I let that shit slide. You don't need to ask, but me leaving is just your way of saying that you want to let all of this go."

"You're finally getting it then witch!" He replied annoyed.

"Exactly," I sneered back, "the easy way. Any coward would put everyone elses feelings aside just so they can stop feeling what's coming to them. You're exactly like Tyler, he would rather tell me to fuck off rather than get through everything I helped him deal with."

"Stop comparing me to your boyfriend." He said angered, "I'm not your boyfriend."

"You don't think I know that." I replied with the same emotions, "but those men out there that you call your brothers are expecting more from you. Everyone in this house is expecting something more from you. You saying that they will never understand the shit you're going through is like a punch in their face. They know how it is to imprint, and they are aware that losing them would be the hardest thing that they would ever have to face."

"BUT I'M THE ONE WHO LOST EVERYTHING!" He sat forward and shouted, "NONE OF THOSE ASSHOLES KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOSE THEIR WORLD, BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT OUR IMPRINTS MEAN TO US. RACHEL WAS MY EVERYTHING!"

"BECAUSE THEY WANTED IT!" I shouted back, pointing up, "THE SPIRITS THAT PUT HER IN YOUR PATH DID THIS, BUT EVEN THEY KNOW IT WAS A MISTAKE TO PUT YOU THROUGH THIS!" I said frustrated, pounding my fist on the dresser, "someone fucked up! I know it."

"You say it like you're sure." He shook his head, "you sound stupid."

"Well let me ask them!" I turned quickly and spread my arms out.

With every ounce of energy I had, I began chanting loudly and calling upon anyone who could give me answers. The room's energy began to shift once again as I felt the movement from what I was sure of each spirit passing through until everything became visible. I was in the once place I dreaded, and the one place I never wanted to visit again, I swore I was dead by now.

"Brandon, dear?" I paused as soon as I recognized that voice. I was standing in an old abandoned gravesite in the middle of a dark shady forest, turning to see my grams standing in front of me. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know grams." I broke down in front of her, now hugging her with everything I had. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Hush now child," she brushed her hand through my hair, "you shouldn't be here."

"But I think I was brought here for a reason." I said unsure, "at least I'm hoping I could find it."

"It's that girl," she said, "she's been wandering through the realm here, lost and a bit distraught on how she got here."

"What girl?" I asked. She then pointed behind me, both of us slowly turning towards a woman of native decent, her hair as dark as the night and her skin the color of mocha. "Rachel?"

She then turned to me the moment I spoke her name. She stared at us for a moment before approaching us. Her hands in front of her connected. "You're so young." She murmured. "How could that be?"

"He's not quite here yet dear," my grams spoke, "he's here to see you though."

"Am I?" I stared at grams, wondering why I was brought to her.

"She has answers." Grams started. "It is her that can bring some peace."

"How?"

"Ask her." Grams said

"Rachel?"

"Yes?" She said.

"Do you know why you're here?" I asked.

"I died of course." She said, "but I'm sort of trapped here."

"Is it because of Paul?" I asked.

She nodded. "He refuses to let go." She said, "I understand why, we shared so much memories, and life with him was great." She continued, "I thought we were soul mates."

"Aren't you?" I asked, "I mean, you are his imprint."

"I thought so too." She replied, "but the spirits said that his wolf would be here with me to lead me to the other side, but since it's not, I have to make that journey on my own."

"What?" I said confused, "how is that so?"

"Paul still has a chance, that's if he lets me go." She said with a bittersweet smile, "sometimes there's bonds out there that are stronger than the first, the spirit called it a determined imprint. Someone who's hidden in the blind side, the spot where everyone forgets to look."

"Where is this spirit?"

"You won't be able to see them sweetie." Grams spoke. "I always wondered why I remained here, but I discovered that in time, I'm here to help her cross over. I'm here to help you find that way to help the shifter. I know you can do it."

"I thought you didn't know." I asked her.

"Oh hon," she giggled, "these are the things you need to discover. We've said what we could, now it's up to you."

"But how?"

"You'll figure it out." She held her hand over my chest, "and sweetie, I know it's a little too late, but can you tell your aunt that I still love her, even though I didn't know how to show her."

"I'll try. But what can I do from here?"

"That is something you need to discover."

In an instant, my breath hitched and caught up with me, causing me to gasp and fall to my knees, gasping for air and coughing just as I could feel someone holding me next to me. The room was now filled with commotion and voices of concern. Paul kept saying the freak just went into a demonic daze.

"THAT'S ENOUGH PAUL!" I'm sure that was Sam's voice thundering through the room.

It was he holding me now. "Are you okay Brandon?"

I couldn't reply. I was far too exhausted that I hadn't realized that I had a crowd watching me as if I was crazy. I nodded my head just as Sam ordered someone to get me a glass of water. "What the hell just happened?"

"I-I…" I stuttered.

"Take your time." Sam ordered, "it looks like it took quite the toll on you."

I could only inhale and exhale as I held onto Sam's arm. I felt so weak and drained. I knew then that it was another overdose of magic that I had tapped into, and in a quick pace, I ran passed everyone in the room and made my way to the bathroom and slammed the door. I began vomiting. The pain strained my throat, my body was heating up, and it felt as if I was about to pass out.

"Are you going to be okay?" Sam asked standing at the door. I nodded. "Do you need anything?" I shook my head.

"Maybe more water." I practically whispered, but he heard me just as he sent Seth to get me more. I kept panting to catch my breath, and moments later I was finally able to stand up and make my way to the living room.

One of the women had me sit on the couch as she handed me more water, ordering me to eat the crackers she gave me to help me. By then, everyone but Paul was in the living area, surrounding me just as they waited for an explanation.

"What is determine imprinting?" I asked.

Sam stared blankly before shrugging. I scanned the room just find them share the same expression. Even the elders didn't know what I was talking about. I was hoping that I could find something out, but as far as it went, we were all stunned of my information. So I decided to explain why I was asking.

"I have seen my grandmother." I began. "And I seen Rachel."

"How can you be sure it was my sister?" Jacob interrupted; I should have known that the topic of his sister would still bother him.

"Because she introduced herself to me." I replied, "and she was the one who mentioned determined imprinting."

**A/N: I'll get into details of what determined imprinting is soon enough, but in time, you'll have to continue reading once the updates keep coming. So please read and review, because they count and give the story energy to be updated sooner.**

**Also, big thanks to everyone who reviewed and favored the story. I appreciate the support and hope that the story is going well for you. I love reading the reviews and everyone's take on the story so far. Please continue to do so.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	5. Chapter 4

**D: Disclaimed**

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Chapter Four

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"I don't know what to do Bonnie?"

"I can't say that I understand the situation," she sighed through the phone, "especially if the pack is still asking for your assistance."

"Kinda makes me wish I didn't bother tapping into my powers again," I complained, "I knew there had to be a reason they came back this soon. I think I'm being tested."

"And this Paul guy is the only one against this?"

"Yeah," I said, "I can understand where he's coming from, but surely their cant be something so… permanent. Have you ever heard of an imprint?"

"Only when you mentioned it." She sounded just as defeated as I was. "But it sounds like a soul mate type of thing, almost like a spell too where a person is bound to another person."

"It's enough for them to all believe that Paul will die soon if the imprint isn't broken," I explained, "and I tried to explain to Paul that his brother's need him, and the tribe needs him. But he refused. He loathes me, and the scary thing was, he reminded me so much of Tyler that I almost let my guard down."

"What do you mean you almost let your guard down," now she sounded concerned.

"I almost let him win and walked away, but the thing was, I was too stubborn I went ahead with it, now I'm even more confused than ever." I sighed again, "it's almost as if no believes me when I tell them that Rachel came to me and mentioned determined imprinting. Now I haven't been more confused. I just want to get away from this all."

"No can do magic boy." She teased, "its in our blood whether you like it or not. It's what we do, and if Paul was brought to your table, this is something you have to fix."

"What about the consequences?"

"Sometimes there aren't any." She said matter-of-factly. "Just go with your gut Brandon, maybe this one will turn out."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying maybe this will help you get over you-know-who and find someone good enough for you."

She didn't have to say his name for me to feel like crap. She knew I still thought about him constantly, and I always wondered if I was still on his mind in some way. I wanted to be. I wanted him to miss me, to feel like he had lost his world. I wanted him to feel what I felt.

"How is he?" I blurted out.

"Still being Tyler." She said without a care. "Even after he became human with the same risks of becoming a wolf again."

"What?" I stopped what I was doing. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, the town has been invaded by travellers that had cast a spell on all vampires that can't enter and it effected Tyler in a different way," she paused. "Because of him being a hybrid, his vampirism faded just as his werewolf gene settled again. If Tyler kills again, he becomes a wolf again."

"Does he want to become a wolf again?" I asked.

"As far as Matt knows, no." She replied unsure, "but Matt keeps asking how you dealt with Tyler. As much as Tyler tries to act all tough and crap, Matt thinks he still misses you."

"But everyone thinks I'm dead still right?"

"Yeah," she sighed annoyed, "I didn't tell anyone. But do you really think it's fair everyone thinking your dead. They still miss you."

"I wish I could believe you Bon, but I hate going back to square one all of the time." I said disappointed. "The place seems to be full of lies. Every time it's always someone betraying someone. Which is why I had grown not to trust in vampires."

"Not them, but the rest of us," She argued, "well Elena does too, but that's a different story."

"Yeah, the same one that turned off her humanity and almost killed me for trying to help her out." I said annoyed. "She's lucky I wasn't as powerful as I am now… or was then… well you know what I mean."

"Alright, alright, dropping the subject…" she giggled, "but I do miss you. Things aren't the same without my sidekick."

"'Scuse you Robin." I teased, "I'm the Batman of this gig."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it… but I do miss having you around…" she said before interrupting herself, "… did you find any guys that interest you?"

"No, I haven't really looked." I sighed, "though the guys in the wolf pack aren't that bad to look at, except I'm pretty sure that they're all taken."

"You don't need that type of trouble in your life again anyways." She giggled over the phone, "besides, you need to stop falling for the tough bad guys, I seriously thought it was only the girls, but…"

"Oh shut it Bon, I know…" I laughed back. "But I have to get back. I'll figure something out."

"I know you will." She assured, "just get to know the dude and let him trust you, that you're only there to help him get through this."

"Yeah…" I paused, "I'll try."

"Love you Brandon," she said before hanging up.

Talking to Bonnie reminded me why I left and why it was so hard for me to leave. Sometimes I find myself sitting here for hours, thinking and pondering on the thought of what would happen if I returned to Mystic Falls. Would I be welcomed back with open arms? Or would my life go back to the way it was? Yeah, none of it was playing out for the best of me.

But yet, what's making me stay here? Is here, where I'm supposed to be? It only seems that ever where I go, things turn bad and they turn to me to fix it because I'm foolish and too kind to say no.

The pack was desperate, and so was the tribe, I was resistant and Paul was… well I'm not exactly sure how he felt about it by now. Probably annoyed and a bit disgusted. He had a lot of resentment, and at the moment, I couldn't fully understand just how much Rachel meant to him if he knew that this was all steered by an imprint. The more I heard about, the more it disgusted me. I asked the others, and in their eyes, no other mattered to them but their imprints. No being could replace the beauty and grace that their imprint beholds.

To me, it sounded like some witchdoctor holding a spell on someone to make them think they're in love. Probably because I wanted to believe that somewhere out there is love.

It wasn't too long before Sam came to pick me up again, and I knew I would be spending all my energy trying to do what everyone tells me. I keep thinking I could say no, but when they tell me that Paul's life is in jeopardy, I feel guilty and always promise to try my best. Though I don't understand Paul, and I don't think I ever will. I just met him and I already want to tell him that he's worth the life he's trying to throw away. Then there's the other part of me that feels like walking away from all of this.

I followed Sam back into Paul's house, feeling the heavy energy already weigh me down, like a heavy energy pushing down on my shoulders, refusing me to take another step, as if my feet are cemented in concrete block. But, I keep moving. I can feel the emotion already, and as intense as it was, I k new I still needed to enter the room. Paul informed me that they've done everything medical-wise in order to keep him a little sane; the rest was up to me.

I sat in the old creaky wooden chair across from him in the dark, a bit of sunlight peeked through the heavy drapes. A small candle was lit on the nightstand next to his bed. He still lay sweating and glaring at the ceiling as if it had owed him a favor in some way. I watched as he barely moved, and so did Jacob. He sat opposite of us and promised to be here if it went out of hand.

I never had the chance to ask him how this all affected him, losing one of his sisters and his mother had to be such a heartbreak. His whole family needed to grieve, and here I was waltzing in.

"Maybe you guys need time to grieve." I muttered, frustrated with myself as I buried my face in my palms. "I can't imagine going through what you guys are going through. I can' take away the proper process."

Paul didn't say a thing. But Jacob did.

"We are." He mumbled. "The thing is, I have Nessie there to get me through the shit I can't face, and the one person Paul should have, is no longer here. I can't ask him to stay with us when giving up sounds so easy."

"So you don't support the pack's decisions?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure how I feel about it honestly." His voice cracked a bit, "I do miss my sister, and can never ask to feel what Paul is feeling because even the thought of it is frightening." He paused, Paul still not saying a thing. "You see, it's not only Paul's duty as an imprinter to keep her safe, but us as a pack, if he fails, so do we. We all feel the loss, but it's Paul's decision on how he wants to go about this."

Everything brought up was because it was up to Paul and nobody else. As much as I could try to convince him, according to him, he lost his soul mate. At the moment, Paul wasn't too pleased with me either because I've seen her. The things she said to me would never be believable to him. I didn't bother telling him either. It would do more damage than good. I just sat there. For hours until he was asleep and Sam figured that it was time I just went home.

I made the hardest decision I had to make in awhile. I had to tell Sam and the council that I would no longer be avid to their request. It would be up to Paul if he needed me around, I had to turn away and feel the crap I knew I'd be facing. I just didn't think it was going to be as bad as it was going to get.

I spoke to Bonnie everyday almost, and the more I had, she encouraged my decision. I had to do what I had to do, but that didn't mean I should be suffering because of it. But the fact was, I was beginning to feel it. I felt depressed. I felt hurt. I felt disconnected. I was pretty much attached to my bed and made no effort to leave at any time.

A week into it, I even stopped taking calls from Bonnie. Her concern was getting the best of her and she told my aunt that if I wasn't going to talk soon, she was coming. So I lied and gave her assurance that I was okay.

I didn't know how or why I was feeling such despair, but I knew I hated it. It was as if I was moping over Tyler once again and a piece of my heart was still with him. I was so sure that I was over the guy, and yet he remained on my mind just as much as Paul had. Paul's name spoken was enough to make me feel like a failure.

News spread that the pack was at unease and they were beginning to feel the weight on their shoulders. The grief their pack brother was facing was beginning to really affect them. Paul wasn't getting any better, and his refusal to speak to anyone was really beginning to concern a lot of them.

My ambition was no longer their either. It felt as if the magic that had flown through me was nothing but a joke now. The powers, the spells, everything that defined me; disappeared with whatever hope I had to ever recover. I was beginning to think that maybe I did need Tyler in some way that I had some sort of connection with him the way Paul had with Rachel.

I didn't want to tell Bonnie either because I knew she'd spill the news and drag Tyler here to try and fix things. But the thought of him still upset me more than made me happy. I hated the fact that I still loved him. I was so confused.

Nothing seemed to help either. It was as if the reserve was facing a big depression and socializing was the last thing on everyone's mind. I even received news from a very frustrated Embry that the pack was on the brink of separating again. Jacob was thinking of leaving with his imprint and her coven when the time came, which meant that Seth and Leah would be leaving with him, and the other's would be just as disconnected as everyone else. Embry was lost for words and ides to what he should do, and I felt the guilt of not knowing how to help him.

Once again, my cousin was losing another family. He grew up knowing most of his family resented him, and now the others were abandoning him. It wasn't until Embry came to me late one night, begging me to find out how to fix this; that it all seemed to all start when I came; when I came to help Paul when I couldn't. He asked me to try one last time with the man, and I couldn't deny him.

I decided that I owed Embry so much, so I cleaned up and decided to follow Embry over to Paul's. That was the first time I met Embry's wolf, and the first time I had ever rode on the back of such a beautiful creature. Him as a wolf was just majestic and supernatural. His fur reflected and shined with the moonlight; soft and frizzy.

It wasn't long before I realized that I was already on Paul's front porch. My hands were shaky, and my nerves were getting the best of me. I turned to see Embry's massive wolf head nod for me to continue. I hesitated for a moment before I took the first step up the stairs and into the dark, poorly lit house. It was quiet and almost hollow. It almost seemed as if no one has been here for a while and had given up on Paul just as I had.

I walked down the creaky hallway that led to the shifter's room. I was sure by then that he knew that someone was here, and prepared myself for an angry man that probably wanted no visitors.

The door creaked open just as I jiggled the knob. Right away I was caught by the smell of body odor and depression. The lamp was still lit on the side, and Paul still laid on his bed with his eyes closed. He looked peaceful for the first time, and I wondered how upset he would be to see me here once again. So I sat in my usual spot and sighed in defeat, trying to think of the best way I could approach this. Wondering how I was going to handle this when I didn't feel that well too.

"They said you gave up." His deep baritone echoed through the small room. I froze for a moment before taking a small breath.

"I thought I did."

"Then why the hell did you come back?" He asked angered, now turning to me.

"I really don't know." I shrugged. "I could tell you a bunch of lies, but I guess the truth is… I don't know how to give up really."

"Well you're wasting your time." He grumbled. "You can leave just like the rest of them fuckers."

"How can you say that about them?" I asked a bit disgusted. "Aren't they like your brothers."

"My brothers wouldn't pull the shit they did." He seethed, "a brother would never let another suffer this way."

"Haven't they been supportive?"

"They should've done what I asked them to in the first place and let me die." He replied even angrier. "I was so ready for this, but now, I don't know why the fuck I'm still here."

"Because you're not supposed to die Paul." I blurted out.

"How the hell would you know?" He growled, "you keep coming in here acting like you know everything when you don't know shit."

"I know that if it was supposed to end here, it would have." I argued. "There has to be something telling you that you're supposed to live."

"You don't get it you idiot," he said frustrated, "I don't want to live, no matter who tells me I should be. I'm fucking done."

"Stop calling me down." I said pissed, "I grew up with being called down to dirt. I've lost people like you. I never knew my parents because they were taking away from me, I fell in love for the wrong reasons and learned the hard way." I said more upset, "there were days that I wished that I was never brought back here because living in the dark realms of death was a lot less scarier than facing life." I stopped for a moment, "I wanted to embrace the afterlife, and I hoped that the light that was supposed to come and get me, did. But each time I was sent back to face the same damn pain I had endured so many times. So you calling me every name in the book is just a reminder that I can never please everyone."

"You cheated death?" He asked in a softer tone.

"More like death banished me too." I responded. "I keep thinking, if I'm not supposed to die, then how the hell do I find a way to live. I've been searching for those answers for how long now because just for once I wanted to belong. I wanted what everyone else had. A reason."

"How did you die?"

"It doesn't matter." I said without a care. "Just know that both the times were in the hands of someone I thought that I loved; people I thought that love me. But the truth was enough to kill me on the insides, which is why I don't know what the hell it means what you or anyone else goes through." I stood up and paced, "which is why I decided not to force this shit on you and let you face what's coming to you. If it's death, than I pray you see the light, but it's life, I sure the hell hope you live it at its best."

I was a bit unsure what he was doing until I realized that he was sitting up on his bed. His hands rested in front of him as his stare remained on his clasped hands together.

"Why would you help a stranger?"

"I don't know." I shrugged again, "I guess it's in my nature to meddle when I shouldn't. But the main thing was because your pack and friends asked me to, and as corny as it sounds, I just wanted to belong and feel needed once again, even if I had to almost kill myself doing it."

"Why risk your life?"

"Because I've done it so many times I guess this is me trying to finally accept my fate and maybe one day I could be at peace." I admitted, "there have been days where I wished that I wouldn't wake up because I was afraid of who I might have to please next. I didn't want anymore responsibilities."

"Shit!" He muttered, "it's starting to feel like you deserve this more than I do."

"Yeah," I let out a sarcastic chuckle, "I guess one can only hope."

"Fuck, I didn't mean it like that, shit," he wiped the sweat off his forehead, "I'm a fucking ass when it comes to this type of shit. But I didn't mean it that way. I would never wish this shit on anyone, no matter how annoying you might be. But I'll be damned if I didn't know that you knew how I felt. We just have different reasons."

"Is yours a good enough reason?" I asked him.

He didn't say anything for a moment, "Rachel was my everything, but she sure didn't make me feel like I meant everything to her."

"I'm sorry to hear."

"You're sorry," he smirked, "I'm sorry. Us shifters imprint and fall foolishly in love with whomever we are supposed to be with, but our imprints don't feel the same effects as we do and sometimes we're walking a one-way street. Rachel sure knew how dangle me by her side and make feel like crap. But she didn't want the imprint, and for the longest time she fought it. I couldn't understand it, but I accepted it. Then she started giving me the chance until her life was claimed."

"Did it last long?" He shook his head. "Have you dreamt of her?"

"Just about the day she died." He admitted. "Kind of pisses me off that the last words she said to me was that she wished I hadn't imprinted on her."

"Sorry to hear that." I admitted, having pity for the man.

"It's no big deal really," he shrugged, "it's actually the shit that has me conflicted. I loved that woman, and at times I felt stupid because of it. Shit, her family didn't even like the fact that I belonged to her."

"But you loved her?" He sat still, then slightly shrugging as he stared at his hands, "because you had to?"

"Most of the time it did feel like it. I adored the woman, and yet, I was handed the shitty end of the stick and it was like she never wanted me around." I could hear the anger in his voice. "Then I did everything to prove to her that I was worthy of being her boyfriend, and it longer than I thought to finally feel wanted by her. She began inviting me to places and asking me where we could go next on our dates. I'd always try something different, and by then I was sure that she was beginning to open up just as I was sure that Billy and Jacob were finally accepting me too. Then somehow shit hit the fan."

"What happened?"

"She had more than she could handle." He stated matter-of-factly. "We decided to go out with a few of her college buddy's, and I always knew from the beginning that she resented me for her having to give up college for awhile; her dad's orders. But anyways… she was having a good time, and I figured I wouldn't bother her and just remain in the background. When the booze started kicking in, she started calling me out, saying I was the man that ruined her life –even calling me down to the filth- just belittling me. I wasn't having it then, I was far too pissed to deal with it I was sure I was about to phase. So I left to do so, so I wouldn't hurt her. I figured… I figured that I'd be back before she decided to leave. But I was so wrong…" he began to sob again. "It was all my fault… I let her go… she'd be here if I hadn't let her go."

"The thing is Paul. She did." I said as true as I could. "There's nothing any of us can say to change it, but there is a way you can change on how you feel about it. Which is where the grieving comes in, and we start facing it. No one is asking you to go in this alone, just don't be afraid to ask for help."

"Are some kind of councilor or something?" He asked without concern, "because it seems like you know more than you should, like you've been through this shit… does it ever stop?"

"I don't even know the answers to that." I sighed, "I'm still waiting for it to get better, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up this time. I think that's where I made the mistake before was thinking I didn't deserve more than was giving to me. I still have hope that one day I wouldn't have to worry as much and I could say that I'm even the slightest bit okay. But first, I have to deal with what I'm going through first to get there."

"Do find that it's worth it?"

I shrugged again, "I wish I could say yes, but as of now, I'm kind of glad where I am now because I have family I hadn't really known to help me get through it." I sat down again, "Embry and my aunt have been nothing but supportive, and if I can help them in anyway too, then I will. They both deserve more than what life has handed them."

"Don't we all."

"I like to think so."

"Are you really here to break the imprint?"

"I can only try."

"Do you really think you can break it? Or is it just false hope for the pack and the council?"

"They know that I'm not promising anything, I just want to help in anyway I can, and prove to myself that my powers are growing rather than fading."

"Let's just say that I let you break the imprint, what happens from there?" He asked concerned.

"Then I'll leave and you can hopefully live your life." I shrugged, "then maybe I can be brave enough go back home and finish what I really started."

"And what is that?"

"Taking my life back."

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and the interest in this story, I can assure you that it does get better soon. So please leave a review and I will update as soon as I can.**

**Much Love, **

**TurnItUp03**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Those who are reviewing, thank you, I hope you continue to enjoy this as much as I am writing it. Those who haven't I really hope you do. As of now, the story get's intense, but for plausible reasons. Just read on and you'll get what I'm saying.**

**D: Disclaimed**

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Chapter Five

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I was getting nowhere.

He lied about wanting to work together on this. Yet, I can't be mad at him like I should. Unlike Tyler, Paul can't control how feels. His life is fixated on loving a woman that is no longer here, and somewhere it says that he has to die with him. That's the sad part, because it is said that every shifter that would experience this, would accept it. So far, Paul has really been the only one. Apparently there had only been some close calls.

It was getting to the point where I was feeling emotional because of it. The more I stayed around Paul to try and help him, I felt as if I was just torturing myself. To watch this man suffer, I still don't know how I handled Tyler when he was about to phase. Paul wanted nothing to do with me. He made it clear that he loathed me now. But for some reason, I stayed. I kept trying and he wasn't pleased with me.

"I fucking told you I don't need you here." He fumed, "don't you fucking get it! I can't stand you! You're nothing but a fucking nut-job! Get the fuck out of here!"

He slammed the door in my face. At least that was progress for him getting out of bed. Thankfully he at least began to shower.

"I wish I could say he was never like this." I turned to see Sam standing in the hallway, disappointed and looking just as exhausted as I was. "But that man has always had anger issues. Come."

I followed him down the hallway and outside to his truck. I was just happy to finally get out of there. Being near Paul for so long was rubbing off on me and I found myself getting pissed off for no reason.

"We hoped that Rachel would be the one to calm the storm, but she had a different outlook on what an imprint was. She hated it in fact." Sam explained, now pulling out the driveway and driving towards his house. "When she found out Paul was falling for her because of in imprint, she viewed it as something arranged. She felt that Paul's love for her wasn't legitimate. Paul worshiped the ground she walked upon, and she hated walking on it."

"Yeah, he told be about her brutality." I sighed.

"Rachel was a good woman, but she was stubborn, and that's why we believed that she was meant for Paul. But the clashed way too much, and Rachel resented him rather than embraced what the imprint was supposed to do."

"It was supposed to make her love him?" I asked.

"Yeah, in a way." He sounded unsure, now parking the truck and getting out so I could follow him. "That's where we were left confused. Rachel hadn't felt any of the imprints effects, and Paul was, none of it was making sense. We figured in time, but even after awhile, we began to wonder if Rachel really was the one meant for Paul."

"What about the determined imprint?" I asked while Emily offered me a coffee. I shook my head and accepted the muffin.

"The elder's still have no clue what that means, and Brandon…" I looked up at him concerned as he sat across the table, "well… I brought you here because the council is now beginning to question your abilities. They're beginning to doubt that you can do anything to help Paul."

"Is that your opinion too?"

"No, but I am confused." He admitted. "I've seen your powers, but they seem to be more on the physical side."

"Because it's not that easy tapping through someone's mind when they won't let you. If I were able to get to Paul mentally, then I could see just what he's feeling… I honestly don't wan to know."

"Well the council thinks that maybe you should step back and Jacob and I order him under patrols to get him back." He didn't sound sure saying this either, "hopefully it will help him."

"So you guys want me to step aside?" He nodded. "Fine, I'm okay with that."

A big part of me was happy to oblige, but then I still felt that small amount of sincerity. But it would all mean that I could get back to practicing my abilities again. I needed every bit of my magic to awaken.

With the days slowly passing, I felt like a failure in a way. At least with Tyler, I gave more effort and refused to give up, mainly because my future kind of depended on it. Well sort of. Tyler was meant to be a protector, no matter if his changed involved taking another life, he was still created to kill vampires. I wanted him to help me.

I found myself distracted with my chants at first, but most of my thoughts were shaken with the fact that Paul was like numbness trapped in my brain. The more I practiced my magic; I seemed to be more into focusing on what Rachel had meant, and why Paul was the only one trapped in all of this.

The pack's progress was unknown, but according to Embry, Paul seems to be progressing in small way, but they could still see his memories of his lost love. Rachel's face was still deep in his mind, projected as an image for everyone to see and feel his pain. It was brutal at times according to Embry whenever Paul would have his occasional breakdowns. They were all exhausted, and Paul seemed to be suffering even more.

But I still couldn't do a thing.

As much as Embry told me, we both knew that my so-called services were no longer needed. The thing was though, I wasn't sure I could do anything anymore. I felt pity for the man, and yet I was still angry with him for trying to belittle me. I could try and deny a lot of the things he said didn't affect me, but he did kind of open up some old wounds with his anger issues. I found myself crying over it.

'_I feel so lost grams.'_ I began to pray in my room. _'I feel like a complete failure at times. Maybe I was meant to lose everything; including the one thing that defined me. I was born a witch, and yet I can't find it me to conjure a proper spell to help me if I tried. I lost the battle so many times, and I keep wondering why I've been giving back the one thing that seems to destroy me at the same time. I used to love being a witch, being who I was because in the beginning I felt like I was making a difference. But now, I can't even help a god damn werewolf break an imprint.'_

It was those tears again. I felt so weak whenever I let them fall. But it helped. As much as I tried to deny it, they sure helped me get through a lot of the crap thrown my way. A part of me was ready to pack my things and relocate again, but the thing was, I had nowhere to go other than back to Mystic Falls. I didn't want to return to the one place I felt unwanted, and now this place was turning into that.

'_I just want stop crying. I want to get to the point in my life where the good outweighs the bad. I want to know how it feels to be wanted and needed. I want to be happy. Is that asking too much? Am I selfish to want that for me? Or am I bound to fighting for my survival for the rest of my life?'_

Even though it was late in the night, I needed the fresh air. I knew Embry was out on patrol's again, which meant that I knew it would be safe to step outside for a while. I figured that I'd wait up on him.

I sat on the old bench on the porch under the dim light, covered with my hoodie and a small blanket, staring at the moon as it peeked through the dark clouds. I inhaled to breath in the moist salty air, listening to the ocean not too far away and the bugs buzzing in the night. The air was cold and crisp. Small raindrops sprinkled down on my face, making the night even more peaceful. I was cold, but I was comfortable. For once, it felt as if my brain was turned off.

An hour passed, and another. It made me wonder how Embry and the others kept themselves occupied out there when the world was asleep. Did he lay in a certain spot and guard the perimeters, or did he run them constantly until the time passed? It had to have gave them a lot of time to think when they were out there, and if so, how could they keep their thoughts to themselves if needed.

"Are you trying to get killed?" I was startled by a deep voice. After falling off my chair and getting up quickly, I still couldn't see who it was, but I knew by then. "Or are you just that stupid?"

There was so much I wanted to say, but I just couldn't find the words. I wanted to scream and holler about it, but I bit my lip and turned to see if I could spot _him._ "At least I'm not the coward trying to hide."

"What the hell did you say?" I turned to see him stand from the tall brush, anger etched in his expression.

"You heard me." I turned and adjusted my chair, ready to take a seat.

"You don't fucking know me." He sneered, now approaching me with his fists clenched.

I've seen Tyler play these games so many times; fortunately it was never me on the other end of it. This was his way of intimidating someone before he began swinging. He's done it to Matt, he's done it to Damon, and he's done it to Klaus. The one time he figured he could do it to me, he retracted and apologized. But he still was mentally and verbally abusive at times.

It only seemed right to try and prepare myself for the blow I was sure that Paul was going to place. Whatever he was about to do, I had to think of some way to protect myself, but even that seemed a bit late before he grabbed me by the arm and jerked me towards him.

"Why the fuck are you still here?" He growled. His grasp began to hurt as he continued to squeeze. I'm guessing that he thought just because I was a witch, I'd be able to handle the vice-grip he had on me. "I told you no one fucking wants you here."

"You're hurting me asshole." I attempted to yank my arm away, only for him to push me forward and turn me until I swung around him, now it mid air until I hit the ground below the porch. It hurt, that much I could say. I ended up coughing and gasping for the air that was knocked out me, and yet as I looked up at the abusive man, it didn't seem to faze him.

"Not so tough now, huh?" He smirked.

"I didn't say I was." I muttered, rubbing my side from where I landed on. It took me a moment to finally stand before he came towards me and knocked me back again by shoving his chest into me.

I fell back once again, but this time I was able to at least land on my hands to catch my fall, but I still ached the moment I collapsed to the ground again. This time I didn't want to get up. I was sure that if I had he would just keep doing what he was doing, I had to find someway to get out of this, and quick, but how really?

"You really are weak!" He chuckled darkly. "Here I was expecting some almighty wizard to at least fight back."

"What the hell did I do?" I said with a shortened breath, blood now coming from the cuts on my hands. "Fuck…" I cried out, feeling exhausted already.

"What the hell did you do?" He repeated sarcastically. "Everything!" He shouted back, "if you minded your business like I told you, then everyone would just leave me the fuck alone!"

"So you blame me for all of this?" I stood up, still shaky, wiping my hands on my shirt, "you think because I stayed was because of you? You believe that I wanted to help you? I didn't have to, sure I could've walked away, but how could I when I could see how much pity everyone had for you." I mocked, "Now you think going for the easy target is going to fix this shit? Maybe I should've let you die and go the one place that doesn't want you!"

Maybe I was asking for a death wish, but I was far too pissed to back down. Wolf or not, I was ready to fight, even if that meant I had to do it without my powers. I held my stance as he came charging towards me with his fist pulled back, readying himself to swing once he came into my range. Just as he swung with his right arm, I quickly moved to the left, avoiding his left arm from landing on my side, circling him and lifting my leg and swinging it back until it landed on his back, kicking him forward a couple feet.

Of course this even angered him more, and by this time I could hear the howls in a distance, and I knew that it meant that the pack was already aware of what was happening, that and aunt Tiffany was yelling from the door for Paul to stop what he was doing, but the thing was, whatever anger and adrenaline that was building up inside of me, began to waken.

With his speed, I still knew what his next move would be. As big as he was, and as strong as he was, he grabbed onto my wrist again in order to try and lay another punch on me, but before he could, the small chants began to pop up in my head as I slammed my fist onto his wrist, sending a jolt and a spark that cause him to let me go. He pulled back for a moment and held onto his wrist to soothe his pain. He glared at me and came forth again, only for me to duck under and pulling his leg with me, causing him to swing back around and land on his back.

By this time, the wolves had arrived and began shifting into their human forms. Readying to interfere. Only to stop in their tracks to witness Paul shake in fury from where he stood. He growled and yelled in anger until he started to change form. In a blink of an eye, a silver wolf the size of a horse stood in front of me, teeth bared and ears pressed back against his skull. His paws were now exposed as he dug into the soil below him, warning me that he was ready to attack.

"PAUL!" That was Sam.

"NO!" I put my hands up to stop them, "if he wants to see just what I'm capable of, then he's about to find out just what I can do."

Before Sam could say anything else, wolf-Paul was already in attack mode, charging towards me with a roar. This was the moment I had to think of something, and something quick. So I swung again and chanted the same words that send another spark across his face. But it wasn't enough to stop him. He shook his head for a moment before looking back at me and pouncing on me.

I lay below him in a struggle, using every bit of my strength to hold onto his muzzle. I could hear the panicking from the sidelines, most wanting to interfere. But before anyone could, I grabbed onto the wolf's neck and pushed up as I slammed my palm against his chest, causing a small fissure that sent him flying back again, resulting with him barking and whining for air.

I knew that it was my turn to start attacking rather than waiting for him to come at me again. I charged forward, and with the same effect as my palm, I balled my hand into a fist and connected it with the top of his thick skull. His head slammed against the ground and his body collapsed. I was sure that I knocked him out, but he shook it off again and stood up, staggering as he finally connected with my eyes.

In a second he was already charging towards me again, now coming like a bulldozer and tackling me until I flew back and ended up rolling across the ground until I collided with a huge tree trunk. I made sure that I was able to lessen the blow with another chant, but even that wasn't enough to help me. I was still gasping for air when I felt the sharp pain in my ankle. I screamed realizing that he had my leg caught in his mouth, puncturing the skin without effort as he shook his head to cause more damage.

Without giving it much thought, I did what I had to and chanted the words that made him feel the only spell I used on vampires to cause internal inflictions. He was now on the ground next to me, tossing and turning as he shrieked in agony. I wasn't about to stop either; I wanted him to feel what he put me through.

Everyone begged me to stop, but I continued to chant the words that sent sharp pains through Paul's body. I was told that it was like acid burning through the veins, fire searing the bones until they felt like they were about to break.

"Brandon, please?" I was shaken out of it by Embry grabbing onto me and embracing me, "you have to stop, you're going to kill him."

By then I found myself sobbing in his arms, hating myself for losing such control. It was never something I was proud of because I hated hurting people. But it was always like a trigger, and Paul knew just what to do to awaken that monster that lived inside me.

"Oh god." Embry gasped, "SOMEONE CALL THE AMBULANCE!"

I looked up and noticed that Embry was worried, and I began to worry, thinking that I just may have killed Paul. But there he was, laying a few feet away from me in his naked form, Sam and Jacob and a few of the others surrounding him, telling each other that he was going to be okay, that he was just unconscious.

"You're going to be okay!" Embry held onto me, rocking back and forth, "the paramedics will be here soon, just don't move."

"What is it?" I asked panicked. Right at that moment, I felt the sharp pain shoot up my leg, causing me to let out a eerie scream.

"Stay calm Brandon, I need you to stay calm, okay?" Embry held onto me, "I'm not sure how you're leg is, but it doesn't look to good."

"It hurts so much!" I cried out, holding onto Embry now, sobbing on his bare chest.

"I know it does cuz, but you need to stay still." He continued to comfort me, "mom! Call Bonnie, tell her to meet us at the hospital as soon as she can get here."

"The ambulance should be here soon," she replied, "I already called Bonnie too, she said she'll be here as soon as she can get here."

"Bring him to my house," I could here Sam make demands, "Emily and the others will tend to him. I'm going with Tiffany and the others."

I was sure I blacked out by then. The pain was too unbearable to the point where I just found myself dozing in and out of consciousness. I could hear the voices vividly. All with concern and sincerity.

I didn't remember much after that really but the continuous nightmare of Paul attacking me. I had to admit that it frightened me to recall it. But it played out as if it was on repeat, the same nightmare of fighting him, and hating myself for losing control. It was like the case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with me at times. A monster hid deep within me, and that monster had almost killed an innocent person. It didn't matter to me anymore that Paul provoked me, but the fact that I reacted so foolishly. And yet, the nightmare still repeated itself like horrid memory taunting me.

That was until I heard the soothing voice of my best friend.

I opened my eyes slowly to see the face that I missed so much. Bonnie hovered above me, caressing her hand on my cheek as she comforted me, reminding me that everything was going to be okay.

"Hey sleepyhead." She said in a soft tone.

"Hey." I half-smiled, my mouth and throat feeling dry, and my lips feeling sticky and disgusting.

"You had me worried there Brandon." She smiled and handed me a cup of water with a straw.

I felt so relieved to drink it. I felt dehydrated and weak. By then I realized that aunt Tiffany was here as well as Sam. Both coming to my aid as I attempted to sit up.

Bonnie helping me moves forward as she put more pillows behind me.

"Careful dear," aunt Tiffany said, "you shouldn't be moving too much until the doctor says it's okay."

"Oh god!" I stared at the cast wrapped around my right leg. "Is it bad?"

"I want to apologize for all of this…"

"Not now sweetie," aunt Tiffany interrupted Sam. "There will be enough time for that after he recovers."

He nodded and bowed his head in respects.

"Dr. Cullen did everything he could on his end," aunt Tiffany continued, "but I'm going to give it to you straight Brandon." I nodded, "you're foot had been practically severed and almost detached at the ankle. took the time in the surgery room to put everything back in place and stitch the skin where it should be. Bonnie and I have done everything we can for now to quicken the healing process, but it will take about a year for it to return to it's normal state."

"So it will go back to normal?" I asked unsure.

"Eventually." Bonnie replied, "you my sir, are lucky you were born into a family of witches, well healers especially." we both shared a laugh, "as long as we keep doing the healing ritual's on it, it will be good as new."

"How long do I have to stay here for?" I asked.

"Only until the morning." The doctor walked in with a smile, "I'm Dr. Cullen. I'm sure they explained everything to you. As for now, I prescribed you a few painkillers until it becomes tolerable. From what I had witnessed, you should be strong enough to go home, but I'll need you to come back in a week for some x-rays. Just be sure that you keep doing what you're doing with the rituals, and everything should be back in order."

I was surprised to hear that he knew about our powers, and didn't seem fazed by it.

"I always found your kind to be fascinating." The man continued, "and Bonnie, it was very pleasing working with you, I haven't had the opportunities to see such power displayed."

"Thank you Dr. Cullen," she shook the man's hand, "and I can trust you'll keep this a secret."

"We both have secrets." He smiled and left.

"You know that he's a vampire right, it's easy to tell." I asked Bonnie.

"Yes, but he's also the vampire that helped you too, he's one of the few good ones in this world."

Rather than question her, I shrugged it off and dozed off again. As quick as the morning had come, I was happy to be already leaving, even if it was in a wheel chair. Sam was the one to help as much as he could, in a way, I think he was feeling guilty about the whole thing.

"We all owe you an apology Brandon." Sam spoke from the driver's seat. I sat in the passenger while Bonnie and aunt Tiffany sat in the back seat of the cab. "Paul will be facing consequences as well as an apology in his regards. I wouldn't have asked you to get involved if I knew that this was the possibilities."

"It's fine Sam," I replied, "I wasn't exactly innocent in the whole ordeal. I did in fact cause inflict too."

"The bastard should be happy that I wasn't around to see it." Bonnie seethed from the backseat.

"How is he anyways?" I asked concerned.

"Well he's recovering," he chuckled, "I have to say though, you sure scared the shit out of him."

"I'm not proud of it." I said in a quick reply.

"You should hold some sort of pride for facing a wolf like Paul." Sam said.

"But that just isn't who Brandon is," Bonnie spoke on my behalf, so I just let her continue to explain, "he's always been known to help out anyone who needed it, for him to retaliate the way he had was because of who he turns into. Unlike me, when Brandon is provoked, he can turn into a whole different person. It's almost like a vampire when they turn off their humanity, he can become indestructible if he's not careful. This Paul guy was blessed to get away just as he had."

"Oh." He relied surprised, "well remind me not get on your bad side. Both of you."

Bonnie giggled, I smirked.

**A/N: You might think that things can't get any better after this, but they do, in time of course. So please leave a review and I will try my best to deliver the next chapter sooner.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	7. Chapter 6

**D: Disclaimed.**

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

Recovery hasn't been as easy as it sounded.

I hated the rituals, but I could tell that it was helping. Since I was told by Dr. Cullen to test the strengths by day, walking has been easier. But the pain was still there. That was something I needed to overcome, and thanks to Bonnie and aunt Tiffany, progress was on track. The cast was a nuisance and I only had it on for a couple of days and I was already impatient about getting it removed.

Thankfully I wouldn't have to wait that long either.

This gave me the opportunity to practice regaining my powers now that Bonnie was here. Though I admit that she had been brutal at times, it's been helpful more than I had expected. I wasn't allowed to pity myself when it came to limiting myself; I had to go beyond in order to waken everything inside me. Something told her that I'd eventually need it.

Doing what I had was considered dangerous for our kind. It was almost an evil power that occasionally lets go, and if we're not careful, we could become uncontrollable. It's just like Bonnie said to Sam, it's similar to a vampire shutting off their humanity. This was known to those who fed off of human blood, and to those who were practically newborns. When this was applied, a vampire becomes literally heartless and disconcerting for those around them. It doesn't matter who they kill, or how. Sometimes they base it on brutality just to show how evil they can be.

Being a witch, most are known to make those suffer rather than kill. It lasts longer and is much more effective.

Which kind of brings me to Paul. What I had done to him is like me squeezing his insides and releasing them over and over again. Almost as if I had broken his bones and healed them quickly only to break them again, it was the dark side of me that wanted him to suffer drastically. And I lost control.

It made me wonder why I felt so guilty for it too. He did in fact try to intimidate me, and all I wanted to do was make sure that he was okay. As far as I knew, Sam explained that he was almost in full recovery and would be facing his consequences once he was. According to Embry, it hasn't brought the pack back to where they should be. Apparently they're still falling apart, and that's what makes me feel even more responsible. This meant that the only family Embry had, was falling apart. And I still would have something he didn't, and it made me look selfish. I knew I had to do something.

But that would be after I healed I guess.

But I could see that it still bothered Embry.

I was back in depression mode. Sometimes I would stare blankly at Bonnie, out of mind as I thought about what I was going to do next. I didn't want to leave here screwing things up once again. I wanted to do right for once, and never feel the blame of what happened. I was tired of feeling like I was prone to making mistakes rather than getting it right for once.

I'm sure Bonnie could already tell how I felt, and there were nights that she lay with me to comfort me. I think she knew where it all came from too. Tyler. I felt stupid for missing him, but I did. I do. I just wanted to see him again, to feel just one more hug him. To hear him tell me that things would be okay even though it meant that it wouldn't be, to hear his voice again.

As much as I had hoped to get over him, it felt as if it was getting harder and harder with each day that passed. The memories were fresh, and I could still hear his laugh in my head. Most of all, I could remember his moments of vulnerability. That was the thing, everyone saw Tyler to be an asshole, but there were only a few of us that were able to see the vulnerable side of him, including me. He was charming when he wanted to be, and sincere. Those are the times I missed most about him, because not only did he let his guards down, but that's when he put me first and told me how he felt about me.

He even fantasized one time to me about having the perfect life with me. Even though I figured it would be far from the truth, I had some sort of hope that there would be one truce to it. He wanted a home, with me by his side. Kids if possible. All of this away from Mystic Falls because he wanted to take me away from there, he didn't want anyone bothering me for my powers and for what we could have had. I almost believed him for a moment, but I believed doubting him in the first place angered him to the point I don't think he gave a damn to try. Yeah, I'll take the blame for that too.

But then, there were the moments of neglect. Too much of them in fact. The disregards of me whenever he decided he wanted to go back to either Caroline or some other girl that was better than me. I wasn't ready to fight for someone who didn't know anything about themselves other than turning into a werewolf. Hell, I even heard that I was just a faze to him. I somehow used my voodoo powers on him to turn him gay. But he was too strong to fall in my grasp.

I guess I was just so used of beating myself up before someone else could.

"Do you believe in love Bon?" I asked, lying next to her quietly as she read her book.

She put it down and sighed before turning to me. "Yes, I do believe that there is someone out there for you, I just wish you wouldn't open your heart so easily and make whoever work for it."

"I wish I knew how." I admitted.

"Listen to me B," she turned to her side and propped her head with her hand, "You're probably going to meet another like Tyler if you don't let him come to you. You are so drawn to his type that you'd act foolishly for them to notice," she giggled, "but I believe that there is someone who will realize your worth and fight for you if you let them."

"They don't have to fight for me either." I admitted.

"Of course, but if they're willing, than that's a bonus." She smiled. "He doesn't have to be Mr. Perfect B, he just has to be right for you. We're young still, we have plenty of time to find the right guy."

"I guess I'm just scared of being lonely." I admitted.

I've always been grateful that Bonnie had always been around, I think she's the only one who understands what I'm going through, not that she experienced it, but because she's very observant. She's had Jeremy Gilbert, but not always. They've seemed to be more apart then together with their relationship due to the fact that either one of them was dead, or for the reasons that Bonnie was tired of living a life that didn't feel like hers. She would always have to worry about being there for him, and that was making empty promises that would not only break Jeremy's heart, but her own to.

The thing was, I believed that the two were made for each other.

One thing I had to cope with was that Bonnie was going home tomorrow, and that meant my cast was coming off, and I would have to say bye to my best friend once again. I hated those, but it was something she needed to do. Apparently there was something going on with Elena, and she wanted to spend as much as time as she could with her; something told me that it wasn't good. But of course it was never good in Mystic Falls.

By the time I woke up, I realized that it has been over a week that has passed since I seen the doctor, and it was about time that I went in to get it removed, then we'd be bringing Bonnie to the bus depot so she could catch plain in Seattle.

Of course it seemed as if the day was flying by quicker than I had expected it to. We reached the hospital and met up with Dr. Cullen. He was quick to check the x-rays as well as removing the cast before sending me off with a prescription for antibiotics. The healing process was still going faster than expected, which mean that I should be back to my normal self within a month.

Later on in the day we had lunch at the local diner. It was good to converse about topics other than what had happened within the past couple of weeks. Sam seemed to be a bit more settled too knowing that things were going to be okay as far as we were all concerned. Embry even seemed a bit better after knowing my conditions.

Not long after, I was saying bye to my best friend once again. I found myself holding onto her longer this time, crying into her shoulders and making her promise to visit again as soon she could.

It was as if I was saying goodbye to my own sister as I waved at her while the bus pulled out onto the street. Even though I had aunt Tiffany and Embry, I still felt lonesome for familiar faces, ones I had grown to know. I was almost tempted to get back on the bus with her, but I knew I'd be setting myself up for failure once again.

It took me a moment before I got back into the truck and head back to reserve with the others. Now that I had to use crutches for a while, I wasn't too happy with it. They were already a struggle fitting them in the seat next to me without bumping into anyone.

No one had said much, which went to show that Bonnie kind of was like the life of conversation here. Sam's sight remained on the road while Embry and aunt Tiffany continued to look out their window. The radio played low while the rain began to pelt against the windshield. You could hear the wipers streak across the glass as it wiped away the rain. Already the weather was returning to its gloomy state. I'm guessing that it mirrors our emotions.

By the time dinner came around, Embry had to leave for patrols, which left me and aunt Tiffany to dine together. She asked me if I was doing okay, I guess physically and emotionally. I told her that I just needed time alone to think, which she was okay with. Truth was, I was waiting for something eventful to happen again, or just something to keep me occupied.

Which kind of led my thoughts back to Paul. I'm not exactly sure where I stood with him anymore, or if the pack or council wanted me to step in again. Sam did say that he didn't think it was safe anymore, but I still had to do something to get it in Paul's head that it wasn't the end for him.

I jumped in the shower for the first time since I had the cast on, finding relief that I no longer had to cover my leg with a plastic bag just to get clean. Which it gave me even a longer time to think about a lot of things? That was until aunt Tiffany became concerned that I had been in for almost a half-an-hour.

As I lay in bed, I figured that it most likely take me longer to fall asleep, but I must've been so exhausted I couldn't remember when I dozed off.

I was even dreaming of being back in Mystic Falls, but this time it was before everything happened, before I discovered who I was, around the time I found myself crushing on Tyler and him being a total douchebag. But I still liked that douchebag for some reason. He was still the goofball too, a volatile goofball at that. And for some reason, I was sitting on the bleachers with the girls as we watched Tyler and Matt practice, something I wouldn't normally do. But it felt peaceful in some ways, that was until I could see the ball coming our way, only to clink against the bleachers… totally different than I expected. Then it clinked again as I watched another ball fly next to it. I looked up to see I was sitting alone now, and the climate changed from sunny to gloomy. Then it hit again…

My eyes shot open only to find myself on my bed in the dark. I turned to reach for my lamp to turn it on. I figured that my dream was about to turn into a nightmare, and whatever had woken me up gave me relief that I didn't have to visit the horrid memories. Then it was the clink again. I looked to my window to realize that someone was throwing stones against my window. I figured that it might have been Embry and maybe aunt Tiffany might have accidently locked the door on him.

I sluggishly got up and grabbed my crutches to help me, only to hear another clink against the window. I mumbled to myself that I was coming before I finally reached the window and looked out to see a shadow. I figured it would be Embry, so I unlocked it and slid it open to be met with a small gust of wind.

"Did your mom lock the door Embry?" I asked as I squinted.

"No," I could hear him, "It's me, Paul."

"Paul?" I squinted again and finally noticed him as he moved in closer, "what are you doing here?"

"Look!" He seemed nervous, "I'm not here to cause any trouble. I promise."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, still distrustful.

"Because I feel like shit for what I did. You didn't deserve it, I had no right to treat you the way I had."

"Is that you apologizing?" I asked unsure.

"I would if you would just come down to talk to me." He said calmly.

"I can't really." I admitted, "I'd have to wake my aunt or Embry up to help me down the stairs."

"Aw, shit!" He grumbled in guilt, wiping his face, "well can I come up?"

"Do you need to? Can this wait?" I asked, still unsure.

"Look I get that you don't trust me at the moment," he sighed, "but if I don't do this now, then I'll never have the balls to do it again."

"Fine. Yeah. Sure." I replied, "I think the door is open."

"Just stand aside, I'll climb up." He began to back away.

"You're not serious… oh…" before he could reply, he was already climbing up the side of the house and using the trees as a prop to push himself up until he reached my window, climbing in and landing on the floor in front of me.

My breath hitched at the sight of him. He looked a lot different than I could remember, healthier in fact. He stood over six feet, only in jean shorts, barefoot with no shirt. He was soaked from the rain, which made his hair press against his scalp and his forehead. It glistened down his body and over the crevices of his muscles and abs. I had to say I looked like a fool staring at him.

"Umm…" I cleared my throat before hobbling across the room to grab a towel before I was caught staring. I reached over and handed him a clean one and hobbled to the desk chair to sit down. "You're looking a lot… healthier."

"Yeah." He mumbled, still wiping himself dry. I remained in the awkward silence while he folded the towel and placed it on my bed for him to sit across from me. I placed my crutches beside me and quickly put on my muscle-T that sat on the desk.

"Were you on patrols too?" I figured I'd break the ice and say something. He nodded. "Oh…"

"Look Brandon, I do feel like shit for what I did." He surprised me with his interruption. "I haven't been sleeping properly because of it. I put my shit on you… everything I was going through, I put the blame on you and expected you to be able to handle it all."

"I wasn't exactly a saint in this all either." I admitted.

"You were just defending yourself, cut the shit about taking the blame and just hear what I gotta say!" He said bluntly. "Sam said you blamed yourself for the majority of it, and I just don't get why you find it easier to beat yourself up because of it. I fucked up, you didn't. If you had to go into beast mode just to protect yourself, I'm sure glad you did, otherwise, I'd have a life smeared on my hands for the rest of my life."

I didn't know what to say.

"I underestimated you too, and I wanted to blame you at first. But I've come to understand that you could've easily walked away when I gave you that chance, but the thing is, you didn't." He sure did look guilty; "I thought you did more damage to me until Sam told me what I had done."

"It's not that bad anymore." I admitted.

"I almost fucking tore off your foot Brandon, don't you get it, I could've killed you." He argued.

"But you didn't!" I argued back. "It's healing perfectly, and by the end of the month I should be back to normal as long as I keep following my healing rituals."

"Healing rituals?" I nodded, "can I see it?"

"Are you sure you want to?" He nodded.

To be honest, the entire time I had my cast off, I hadn't the chance to really examine it, but I began to lift my pant leg to see just how it looked. There still was a long purple scar on the inside of my leg, scars where the stitches were and a bit swollen from me walking on it more than I probably should.

"Aw, shit," he turned away angrily, "Fuck!"

"Can you keep it down, my aunt and Embry are still sleeping." I hissed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he put his arms up defensively, "I just didn't think it would look like that… fuck."

"It's not as bad as it looks." I assured him, "it's healing a lot quicker now that my powers are awakening, and the pain is lessoning every time I sleep. So, I wouldn't put much thought into it."

"Fuck, but still…"

"Why all of the sudden…"

"I don't know…" he interrupted. "I just felt like shit. There! I said it! I felt like shit that I took everything out on you. Maybe because you looked like the weakest? I don't know, but I'm human enough to know that what I did was wrong."

"…" I didn't know what to say, or how to react for that matter. He was pacing around the room in frustration, and all I could think about what the hell could be going through his head. He was mad at the world I was sure.

"Well…" I stared blankly, "say something."

"I don't know what to say." I fended, "I figured I'd let you get whatever you had to say out before I said anything."

"I don't know what to say." He admitted, now sitting on the bed again in a slouch, "I mean I did when I was coming over… but none of it's coming to my head right now."

"Well, whether you like it or not, I do owe you an apology for losing my control." I said unsure, "it may had been out of defense, but I hate letting that side of me get out. That's not me and it will never be me."

He stared at me for a moment before shaking his head, "I don't get you Brandon. One minute someone could be reaming you out, and you still act like the civil one. I hate that."

"You hate that I'm forgiving?" I asked.

"No, that you're a pushover." He said bluntly. "It's almost as if you enjoyed being yelled at."

Once again, I was speechless. I wanted to argue with him, but a part of me knew that he was right. If I admitted that to him, then he'd see it as me giving in again. I was caught in a predicament to which I wasn't sure how to react.

"I get it, just say what you came to say and get the hell out." I replied slightly angered.

"I didn't say it to offend you, I was just telling you the truth." He said. "Don't get me wrong Brandon, I didn't come to start shit, I just wanted you to know that… I'm sorry."

"Yeah," I shrugged it off, reminded of Tyler's many apologies. "I've heard that several times before."

"Yeah? Well I mean it." He sounded annoyed.

I hated that he reminded me of Tyler. I was caught up in bullshit once again, and it was hard for me to really believe Paul. Was his word legit, or was he just saying shit to pass this over? What would his reasons be really? He clearly stated that he hated me with a passion?

"Do you always apologize to the people you hate?" I asked rudely.

"I don't hate you, but you're starting to annoy me," he replied, "I know I said shit before that I didn't mean, that being one of them. I have nothing against you, but I used everything you had against you to get you away from me, and yet you were the only one that stood by me, even when I was at my lowest." He dug his hands through his hair before standing up and going to the window to finally close it, "they're supposed to be my brothers." He mumbled.

"Excuse me?" I asked unsure.

"Sam and them." He fumed, "they were supposed to be my brothers. They're supposed to understand what I'm going through. But they have it so damn easy that they figured they'd toss me off to some outsider just to get rid of me. I was just a burden, and always will be."

"I don't think anyone wants to understand what you're going through because even catching the gist of it hurts them enough." I replied to the best of my knowledge, "from what I understand, you're all linked together in some way, and they wanted to find some way to make it stop, even if their obligations were in the wrong. No one wants to feel the pain you're going through Paul."

"But you did." He said quickly. "You've been treated the same way I have by the one who was supposed to love you. I wanted nothing but to give Rachel the better part of me, but she wouldn't let me because she didn't believe in me. She tormented me. She called me down and I wouldn't say shit. I can't even say that I hate her because I don't believe I can, and I hate that."

"I didn't expect Tyler to love me." I replied and corrected him, "Tyler said it, but he constantly took it back because I just was never what he wanted me to be. He cheated, he lied, and he made me feel like it was my entire fault because I felt that I needed to change for him. Imprinting doesn't exist with his kind because he lost his humanity the moment he turned into what he is. Whatever the hell we had was a lost cause, and it took him almost killing me to figure that out."

"But you still understand." He stated, "you understand that shit like this can't be swept under the rug and be forgotten. I want so bad not feel this ache in my chest because it doesn't belong there. I'm grieving over a person I'm beginning to care less about, but the pain stays because I'm latched onto her for eternity."

"All I can say is face it head on." I leaned forward, "if you can handle this, than maybe I can find a way to detach you from it."

"You'd still do that?" He asked hopeful.

"I can try, that's if you let me." I shrugged.

"I just want it all to stop," his voice broke out while he rubbed his face into his palms. "I want to get on with my life."

"Don't we all." I agreed. "Listen."

He looked up at me with watery eyes.

"I'm willing to start all over and just focusing on getting to know each other, then maybe in time I'll be able to figure out what's making you latch onto something that doesn't seem to be no longer there."

"I can't promise you anything Brandon." He admitted. "But I'll try to be open-minded. If that means becoming friends, I think I can handle that."

"The gay thing bothers you, doesn't it?" I asked.

"I didn't say that." He growled, "but it's something I have to get used to, I haven't really met your… kind. You can't blame me for that."

"First of all, I'm not a type of species, I'm human just as much as you are." I fended, "and second of all, I don't blame you for anything. So I will let you know, there is no way in hell that I could even possibly convert you, if that's what you're thinking, even if I used my magic. I can't control your decisions or your actions, I'm sick of guys telling me that I'm just sticking around hoping that one day they'd fall in love with me. If that ever becomes the case, I will walk away and you will never hear of me again."

"I get it." He replied, "I was a bit skeptic, but I guess even I can be a little naïve."

"I'm serious Paul." I stated, "I've had a few friends that have tried to make a move on me and say that it was all my fault."

"Wait! Wait! Are you saying that I might fall for you?" He chuckled darkly. "I mean, I had always been suspicious about Seth, but that doesn't mean that I'm fallen for the kid."

"I didn't say you would, but if it's left unsaid, I'm the one caught on the hook." I explained, "think of it as a disclaimer."

"Fine!" He sighed, "whatever. I gotta head out anyways."

"Good night," I nodded just before he walked to the window.

"Umm…" he paused and turned to me before leaving, "thanks Brandon. Like I said, I'm not making any promises, but I'll try."

I wasn't sure if he winked, but I could hear the chuckle as he landed on the ground and disappeared into the tree lines. All I could think of was, did this just happen? Could I really help him get through this? Or was I setting us both up for failure? But the part that had me questioning all of this the most was…

Am I ready for this?


	8. Chapter 7

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

I guess things work a lot better when you talk things through.

The first step for Paul to get his life back on track –the best way he knew how- was to clean his house. I offered to help in any way, he accepted, and it was a bit different atmosphere once we began talking. He told me about how he inherited the house from his grandma after his father practically left him to fend for himself. He started taking care of himself at a young age, so independence wasn't anything new for him. He was sure that it was enough for Rachel, for him to take care of her the way he wanted to, but somehow he was giving the shitty hand of the deck.

He told me his dad was deadbeat according to him, but at least he stayed. He never knew his mom, and his grandma past before he reached his teens. It saddened me to hear that all of his life he had been rejected. I could familiarize, but not to that degree. He wasn't even sure if he had any siblings, and he admitted that he didn't want to know. If his dad was somewhere out there raising another family, he didn't want to get to know them. The man was seriously damaged.

He began asking about me, and how I grew up blindly in the supernatural world until one day I accidentally shattered a table full of science beakers. I didn't know it was me at the time, just that something freaky was going on at Mystic High.

I told him how I was always told that my parents were killed in a car accident, only to eventually find out that vampires murdered them. My hatred of vampires grew, and coincidentally, those vampires returned, and I made it my attempt to get rid of them in anyway possible. But they were seeking out my help to go against one of their enemies. That's when shit got weird. And that's when Tyler came into my life.

I explained that Tyler was a wolf too, somewhat a shape shifter, but mostly a child of the moon, or more like slave to the moon. He didn't look like a werewolf, but an actual wolf. He could only change under the full moon, and was making the effort to shift at any time that he could. But it all summed up to him being cursed. I explained how Tyler had to kill an innocent in order to embrace his heritage. Because Tyler had been so angry and clumsy, it happened when he took the life of some desperate girl trying to get in his pants.

I guess Paul could see the jealousy seething off of me. He actually smirked and laughed to himself.

When he asked about the vampires back in Mystic Falls, I had to admit that there were some differences, but it all summed up to being bit to be changed. A bite always triggers it, whether a vampire feeding or is aiming to, eventually a human can become one, unless a vampire who is strong enough, removes the venom themselves.

I hated vampires; I made it clear to him to. That was one thing that we agreed on. That's when he began telling me about how Jacob imprinting on a hybrid all started.

"Her name was Isabella Swan, police chief's daughter and all-around shit-stirrer." He explained in disgusted tone. "I knew she was trouble from the beginning, and I told Sam too, but we couldn't ban a human from the reservation, so no one could stop anyone from interacting with her. So I tried my best to ignore her, and it was easy in the beginning, that was until Jacob started bringing her around. All because she lost her pathetic leech boyfriend."

"Leech boyfriend?"

"She started dating one of the Cullen's kids, who she discovered was a vampire." He explained.

"And she still dated the guy knowing the risks."

"I knew she was stupid and desperate from the beginning." He spoke with anger.

"Sounds kind of like Elena Gilbert," I mumbled, "she was a girl who fell for the Salvatore brothers, both vampires. But in the beginning she resented them, but soon fell to there spell and eventually became one of them."

"Exactly how she was, selfish because she couldn't choose between him and Jacob." He continued, "well actually, Jacob being the pore sap that he is, desperately wanted Bella to love him and tried everything in his power to win her over, but she chose the leech in the end."

"How does the hybrid fit in?" I asked, interested.

"After the leech married the girl, she got knocked up while away on their honeymoon and while she was still human." He smirked, "the monster almost killed her from the insides, and Jacob was still holding onto a dream that we thought was ridiculous. He separated from the pack in order to protect the Cullen's, bringing Seth and Leah with him. We couldn't attack as long as they had those advantages. So when we heard the demon-child was born and had killed Bella, we had no choice but to kill the thing. Even Jacob was back on our side until he imprinted on the _thing._"

"He imprinted on his crushes kid? An infant? A child? That's disgusting." I said grossed out.

"Wait, don't sell him short, Quil also imprinted on two year old at the time," he added, "but from what I could understand, they become more of their protectors, like a big brother until they are old enough to choose whether they accept them as a mate or just a friend."

"But wouldn't it harm them if they were rejected as a mate, doesn't that defeat the purpose?" I asked.

"Which is why they choose not to age until their imprints can catch up to them." He shrugged, "eventually it'll take over and they will falter to the imprint."

I could see the disappointment in his expressions. I knew exactly how he felt at the mention of an imprinting returning the emotions. Rachel hadn't, and to him, that was like a slap in the face. Now it was as if he was constantly stabbed in the gut because he lost someone that is supposed to define his existence.

"So I'm guessing everyone accepted the imprint?"

"We had no choice." Paul shrugged again, "pack law states that we can't harm a pack member's imprint, and because he was attached to her, we had to stand down. Which caused more trouble for the rest of us."

"How so?" I wondered.

"The Volturi." He stated. "They discovered the kid's existence and assumed that she was immortal. It was there duty to dispose of her, and if she wasn't Jacob's imprint, we wouldn't have had to get involved, but then it turned into something more. They became a threat to our people, and if they were ever to kill the girl, they'd end up killing our alpha, Jacob."

"Jacob's your alpha?" I asked confused, "I thought Sam was."

"He is." He continued. "But Jacob was born into the role, and at the time, he took upon the role and led us into battle. But the thing was, the Volturi turned out to be a bunch of cowards. The sightseer in the Cullen family showed him his fate, and he didn't like what he saw. According to her, we would have claimed victory with great losses, which kind of was a relief to find out that we didn't need to fight in the end. We could of lost the Clearwaters, as well as two of their strongest. The fact that their lives were spared had made us stronger as well. Losing a pack mate is almost like losing an imprint; devastating."

"So the battle didn't happen?" I asked with relief. "I'm guessing that is why Nicklaus was beginning to question their leadership."

"Nicklaus?"

"He's apart of the original coven that birthed the vampire kind." I explained.

"How do you know this?" He asked.

"Because Klaus was one of the ones that pursued me at one time to get back at Tyler." I admitted, "I didn't know it at the time, but after finding out who he was and what he wanted from me, I pushed him out of my life. But he kept coming back until he killed me."

"What the fuck?" He looked at me shocked.

"He actually wanted to change me, or figure out a way somehow so I could stand by his side when he decided to dispose of the Volturi." I explained, "his family alone has that power to easily kill them, but he wanted me as threat to the others. That, and so I could train his hybrids when he planned to change them, but I was dead before he was able to change Tyler."

"How did you come back to life?" He asked unsure.

"Bonnie was able to break down the walls that blocked every supernatural being from returning from their death." I shrugged, "a lot of us was able to cross, and I was one of the few that was able to stay. With that, I had to regain my abilities once again, and with my return, I was able to assist Bonnie in petrifying Klaus and scaring off the rest of the Original Coven. The Salvatore's were responsible in hiding his corpse where it wouldn't be discovered. If they hadn't, and we killed Klaus, each and everyone of his descendants would fall with him, which meant that a lot of them would no longer exist, including Tyler."

"I left after that." I continued. "From what Bonnie has told me, travelers had invaded Mystic Falls and flushed out all the vampires that vacated their, and because of it, Tyler and his pack of hybrids had returned to their status as wolves. That was the last I really heard."

"Holy shit," he cursed, "sounds like Mystic Falls is filled with drama."

"You can say that again."

"Well, since Jacob had imprinted, we're still on the edge whether the Volturi will return someday." He sighed, "but we'll be more than ready this time."

"I don't think they'd be coming here anytime soon." I admitted.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm sure they've been informed of me being here by now, unless they want to test my abilities." I explained. "Vampires despise our kind, which is why the Salvatore's and the others remain on our good sides, especially after they witnessed the powers of both Bonnie and I."

"Are you bragging?" He teased for once.

"No." I smiled, "but if they know what's good for them, I'm sure I can call up a friend of mine that would gladly help me get rid of them."

"Bonnie?" He smirked.

"No, Rebecca." I smiled back, "she's a part of the Original Coven and the one who had helped me and Bonnie capture Klaus." I paused. "I guess I should've mentioned that an Original cannot be killed, only by White Oak tree, which has been hidden from them for our convenience."

"Will any of the Originals ever come here?" Paul asked.

"I don't think so." I admitted, "after Katherine's death, they've found their own sanctuaries, also aware of who can easily dispose of them. They're practically hiding because every supernatural being wants to kill them."

"You said something about Bonnie breaking down the walls of…"

"I can't." I said bluntly, already knowing what he was going to ask from me, "Rachel wasn't a part of the supernatural realm, she's human, I can only communicate through visions, and even that becomes a task."

"Is there a way I can see her?" He asked again.

"I've yet to figure that out." I admitted, "communicating with the dead hasn't always been easy, especially someone like Rachel. But I have met her."

"What?" He looked at me questionably. At this time, I realized that I didn't want to mention that just now. "You've seen her?" He asked daringly.

"I didn't want to say anything until you were ready." I explained. "But she mentioned something about determined imprinting, and I wasn't sure about it either, so I asked Sam if they heard of it."

"You told Sam and not me?" He was pissed now.

"Yeah, but they never heard of it either." I said.

"I had the right to know!" He argued. "This is what I fucking mean, every time shit like this happens, I get left out of the know."

"I'm sorry, but you were already in a questionable state." I apologized.

"Show me!" He grabbed me by the biceps and began shaking me, "Show me Rachel!"

"You're hurting me," I tried pulling away, turning my face from his aggressiveness. "Let me go."

"Not until you show me Rachel!" He fumed.

Once again, I felt like my life was being threatened. I wondered why a man like him could turn into a monster so quickly. I should've been used to this by now. Tyler acted a fool more than once, and tried threatening me at times. But them he'd always apologize, and I would fall for it once again.

"SHOW ME GOD DAMN IT!" He shook me again, shoving me against the wall where a few pictures fell and shattered to the floor.

Without giving it much thought, I had to do something. I had meant to cause infliction, but something in me took over. My hands reached for his, gripping onto his wrists until he collapsed to his knees before me. By then, I had lost control and began chanting until my hands covered his temples. I could hear his cries as he held onto me, and in that moment, it was if we were being dragged through a vortex of lights until we came to a dark atmosphere.

The cemetery where I was before when I had met my grandmother and Rachel, but this time Paul was standing behind me. I could tell that he was nervous as he moved closer to me. Everything seemed so real at the moment, the smell, the chill, and the surroundings. I walked slowly through the foggy atmosphere until we both could see a silhouette in a distance. Then another of an animal next to… her. It was Rachel Black.

She turned to us, sadness in her expression, and hurt in her eyes. Paul looked a bit distraught at the sight of her. I could tell that he still cared dearly for him, and now we knew why. Next to her was his wolf. We both recognized it, just as it was tethered to her with five different lines, almost like chains.

"_What happened?"_ We asked in unison.

"_Our punishment."_ She replied.

I stared in awe as I noticed that the chains were making her bleed just as it had been doing to the wolf. She was in pain, and in a way, so was the wolf. I was beginning to understand the metaphor to this, but somehow it felt so real.

"_You're wolf is still tied to her."_ I stopped Paul just as he was ready to approach them.

"_He's angered because I won't take him with me."_ Rachel explained._ "You need to be free of me Paul. I can't take you with me. You don't belong to me."_

"_But Rachel, Love? I can't."_ Paul fell to his knees in defeat. _"I won't."_

"_But he can, if you'll let him."_ She stared in my direction just as the wolf began to stand in front of her for protection.

"_Me? The wolf won't let me anywhere near you."_ I argued.

"_These chains can be broken, they are what's controlling him, not me."_ She held up the shiny-like rope. _"Once these are broken, Paul can be set free, and I can finally leave this place."_

Something alarmed the wolf, as if something didn't feel right. Rather than question his instincts, he let them lead him until he came to the last place he expected, he pack brother's home. Embry had been brought to Paul's. The man stood outside puzzled to why he had been brought here, and wondering if he was just going a bit crazy, until he heard the cry from Paul.

Quickly he raced up the stairs of the porch and barged through the front door. Embry raced through the kitchen area until he witnessed something that even frightened him. His cousin Brandon standing in the middle of the living area with Paul kneeling before him in his grasp, Paul crying out just as Brandon continued to chant in a different language. As Embry moved closer to pull Paul out of Brandon's hold, he could see that his cousin was suffering just as much.

Blood was dripping from his nostrils.

I was caught in a serious predicament.

It was Paul who decided to go against his wolf and finally free Rachel. I'm guessing it was his way of giving her the last thing she requested, and this would give him the freedom he desperately craved. But his wolf wasn't letting him get any closer. I had to help in some way.

But I was powerless here. We were both clueless to how we were going to get through, or finding any way to release her. Each attempt the wolf was one step ahead of us, and frankly, I was getting a bit exhausted, and I knew why.

'_Paul I'm losing this!' _I shouted to him, _'I can't hold on much longer!'_

I could see the struggle he was facing as the wolf attacked him to, but the wolf wouldn't harm him either. I had to do something. I had to try anything I could think of. If Paul was hurting, I was sure his wolf was, I had to gain the wolf's trust to.

'_WAIT!'_ I stood between Paul and his wolf, staring at the angered wolf in front of me, _'I'm not here to harm you or her.'_ I glanced at a frightened Rachel, _'but you're causing pain for the both of you, we can help.'_

The wolf snarled and let out a vicious bark, licking his snout and his sharp fangs. His ears pressed against his head, he claws digging into the soil below him, he was so close to me, and yet, I couldn't back away._ 'Please, just trust me.'_

It was strange that the only thing holding this wolf to the chains was a clip that could be easily undone with a snap. I guess it was just the idea of being trapped that kept them all here. _'I won't harm you, I promise.'_

Slowly and gently, I reached for his neck, aware of his fangs that could easily tear my arms off. He watched me carefully as I reached for his collar, once yanking away before letting me touch his fur. I had to gain his trust, and I wasn't sure if this was him or Paul not willing to let go. But finally, I was able to take hold of the collar and unsnap the buckle as quietly as I possibly could. He watched me as the heavy piece of metal fell to the ground in a big clunk before disappearing. One by one, each chain that held onto the wolf slowly began to fall and fade into midair, giving both the wolf and Rachel the relief they craved.

The wolf was finally calm, and Rachel began to shed a tear. Paul seemed confused about the whole ordeal that had taken place. That was until Rachel began to explain, well more like apologize.

'_I almost feel guilty.'_ She approached Paul._ 'But when I came here, I was never meant to bring you with me. You needed to know that, and now that the ties to me are finally broken, you can finally move on. Imprints are connected through stronger ties, not chains. Sometimes the spirits make those mistakes I guess.'_

'_But I failed you still.'_

'_No you haven't,' _she lifted his chin with her finger, _'it was me that chose the path, unfortunately we both needed this to find our way. Now I can go and you can finally move on with your life.'_

'_I can't…'_

By the time Sam and Jacob had arrived to help Embry shake the two out of their trance, it was as if Brandon reached a state of shock before finally letting Paul go, falling to the floor, shaking uncontrollably. Each man panicked as they watched Brandon react as if he was having a seizure. Paul lay still with a weak pulse. Jacob called Sue and Tiffany just as Sam called Dr. Cullen to inform him that they might just need his help.

When Sue arrived, she explained that she wouldn't call it a seizure, but more that his body went into a state of shock that his body doesn't know how to react to it. Tiffany was the one who was able to discover that he was overdosing on power. Quickly, Brandon's aunt went into action and began to rock him back and forth in her arms as she prayed, just like Bonnie had taught her. They both knew this would come in handy with Brandon since he was slowly coming back to his strengths, and it was only normal at times that he would go over board. Sometimes it was the consequences of being a witch.

Paul was being examined by Sue. It was clear that Paul's energy was drained from their efforts, and that rest and food would do him good. But Brandon's recovery would be a bit more. He would need to rest longer and take the medicines that Tiffany would soon gather for him.

"What were they doing?" Sue asked.

"I don't know, I just walked in and Brandon had Paul in his hold, chanting about something." Embry shrugged, "I couldn't tell who was in pain the most. Paul was screaming, but Brandon, it was like he couldn't… it was strange."

"Was Brandon holding Paul by the sides of his head, near his temples?" Tiffany asked her son, he nodded. "It could be a vision…"

"I didn't think they were even talking still at the time." Jacob shrugged, "when did they decide to make up."

"It doesn't matter." Sam intervened, "what can we do?"

"There are a few things I need you to gather," Tiffany explained, "Embry can show you for now."

Sam was quick to follow Embry as he nodded to his mother. Thankfully, he was embracing his mother's side as well, and he knew that eventually it would all come in hand at some point in his life.

"Is he going to be okay?" It was Emily who asked this time.

"Yeah, I think he will." Tiffany continued to rock her nephew back and forth, "I just wish he'd learn to be careful."

"Jacob." Sue called out, "help Tiffany carry Brandon back to their place, I'll keep Paul here until the doctor comes, I'm sure he'll know what we can do from here."

The man nodded and picked Brandon up bridal style while Tiffany helped, "Emily, you can go with them, I'm sure Tiffany will need your help as much as possible." The woman nodded and followed the three out the door.

"Paul? Honey, can you hear me?" Sue held onto the man.

"What's wrong mom?" Seth walked in with Leah in tow.

"I'm not sure yet, but we'll soon find out." She moved him slightly, "can you both help me lift him to the couch here until the doctor gets here."

"Mom?" Leah stood there puzzled, staring down at an unconscious Paul. Sue looked up at Leah. "Something's different about him."

"What do you mean?" She looked at her daughter puzzled.

"It's true." Seth added, "I can feel it."

"Feel what?" She asked.

"I could be wrong," Leah knelt down beside Paul and placed her hand upon Paul's forehead. "But I think they broke the imprint."


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Just to let you know, I am posting a side note for this story as a new story for the TVD fans with a brief summary of this story with a link leading them to this story, so if you get a notification for it, you can discard of it.**

**For anyone who wonders who I see as the character of Brandon Call, I kind of pictured the actor Michael J. Willett. If you're not sure who he is, feel free to Google him. **

**P.S. All mistakes are mine, so just give me a heads up. Thanks.**

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Eight

* * *

Old habits die hard I guess.

I should be used of this by now, but for once, I just wanted something different. Why am I so naïve? Why do I fall for the bait quicker than I should be observing? Why did I think Paul was any different? I knew why I was asking these questions, it was because I was falling for the man.

_I sure know how to pick'em._

So what now?

He got what he wanted, I'm sure of it now. Would he be grateful for it? Or is he going to regret it? I hated these questions because I knew the answer. Paul is pretty much like Tyler, and if I'm correct, he's going to blame me for ruining his life once again. I seriously needed to stop giving a shit.

I'm not that convincing when I'm standing on his doorstep either.

But curiosity got the best of me. Since the interaction with Paul, I needed a week to recover, and Paul hasn't really reacted since he was informed about our incident. Apparently I was close to death if it wasn't for Dr. Cullen's help. This was the type injury that couldn't be healed through magic, only through time.

"He hasn't moved since." Jared informed, staring blankly from the top of the stairs. "We don't know what's wrong with him, it's like his soul has been drained from him."

"No one knows if he's going to be okay?" I asked concerned.

The man shrugged, a tear falling down his cheek, "he's my best friend Brandon, my brother," he corrected himself, "now he doesn't even recognize me. He won't talk to any of us. It's like he's gone."

"I'm sorry." I muttered, cowardly looking down at my feet.

"Are you really?" He glowered. "Do you really give a shit about what you did?"

This even surprised me. I've never expected anyone other than Paul to be upset with me, but now it could be possible that the entire pack could be pissed.

Quickly I back away, "of course I didn't mean it Jared." I fended, "he made me do it, I couldn't help it."

"You should've left!" He grumbled, walking past me with a shove.

What more could I say? Half of the people wanted me to stay to try and figure things out, and the other half preferred I did nothing, the problem was, in the beginning; Jared had some sort of hope for me. Now I screwed that up somehow. Maybe it was about time I did say goodbye while I still could.

I took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to met by Sam. At first, I thought that he might have something, but he gave me a nod before leaving with his wife in tow. It was just he and I again. I turned to see if they were staying close by, but they left too. It made me wonder why the kept leaving us to ourselves when it never seemed to be a good idea. I was prepared to flee and get away from all of this, but I just couldn't. I don't understand why, but I just found myself… intact.

There he was. Motionless. Staring straight into nowhere. Or somewhere. I figured he'd be too caught up to realize I was there, but then he turned to me slowly. It made me nervous. It scared me when his eyes connected with mine. I couldn't pull away.

It was as if he as digging deep into my soul, latching onto every bit of what was inside me, holding onto anything he could grasp. I was running, but I couldn't escape from his sight. It was as if he pulled me towards him and held onto me until I could feel his chest press against mine. I found it hard to explain, but it was as if I see what I felt, like something was digging through his chest cavity, like a bunch of veins and rope attaching them to mine until they started digging through my skin, scraping and scaring my flesh until it felt as if vines were digging through my chest and my ribs until it attached to my veins, mazing itself until I could feel it wrap around my heart, attaching through the arteries until I could feel another heartbeat, one that beat at the same rate as mine. In sync and in tune.

Like a vision of light bringing me back to reality.

I watched a very confused Paul as I felt myself collapse to the floor. But I didn't make contact. Instead his massive frame held me next to his. I stared in confusion as he watched me intently. Slowly he lifted me, I was unsure of what was taking place. That was until he pulled me forward quickly before slamming me against the wall with his forearm shoved up against my neck, nearly choking me, "what did you do?"

I choked out a breath, trying to say something, anything to break free. My hands pulled on his arm to set me free, but he wouldn't budge. Only to continue to ask me what kind of magic did I use on him, blaming me for everything I wasn't sure of. I couldn't understand why he was doing this, or why I could barely respond to him. My throat hurt, my chest, my head, my neck, everything.

I could have used some sort of spell for release, but nothing would come to mind. I panicked. I cried out for release. I begged for him to let go. I whimpered to him that I couldn't breathe. At that moment, he released me as I fell to the floor, crashing against wall until I fell sideways into the glass nightstand by the couch.

I was more in shock than anything, staring up at the man I thought I knew, or hoped that I knew, or figured I knew. I was more confused than ever. My perception changed drastically, and all I could feel was my insecurities. My fears of this man when before I was keen on making him feel the same pain he had caused me. But now, as he glared down at me, I could only wonder if I would ever be good enough for anyone, if I was destined to be everyone's punching bag. Would I ever escape the constant neglect?

I clenched as I moved, feeling the broken glass slice through skin. I grunted as I moved forward and fell on my knees while he continued to stare. Looking at my hand, I realized I was already losing quite a bit of blood. Just as I stood, he kicked a few things out of his way before exiting and leaving me to my battered self.

_What the fuck?_

I was more confused then ever. It's like my whole world turned on me. I did what I was brought here to do, and now no one gave a shit about me. That or I was hallucinating. None of it was making sense, especially the need to be somewhere, anywhere but here. I needed to get out of here before I ended up dead.

It took more effort than I planned to move myself across the floor. I was limping and putting pressure on my cuts as I made my way back home. Even though I was in pain, I knew that I had to get out of here. Even if that meant I'd have to go back to Mystic Falls. I needed some sort of assurance that I was needed. Bonnie always knew what to do.

I couldn't remember much other than trailing through the brush, weakly holding onto my side as the blood seeped through my fingers. I staggered, falling a few time by the time I reached the Call house, slowly making my way to my room. The searing pain on my side was getting the best of me, and frankly, I didn't want to end up on the doc's table once again. I've been spending more time there than my bed since I had gotten her.

Painfully, I pulled the material over my head as I stared at the gash in the mirror. My skin had been cut open, but not enough to expose any of my insides, just enough to cause it to bleed, a lot. I had to bite onto a cloth in order to clean the wound. I couldn't help but cuss as I began to wash it out, realizing the blood wouldn't stop until I bandaged it up and sealed it somehow.

Quickly, like an adrenaline, I began to tear the towels up into strips and began wrapping it around my midsection whilst I pressured the skin to remain closed until I could tape the rest down. It was messy, but it worked. It still bothered me a bit, but it was less than I had expected.

I continued to race around the bathroom and throw the towels in the wash before I ran back to my room, tossing everything in my bags as I ran back and forth, grabbing random items until my luggage was stuffed with everything I had come with. I figured I'd leave a short note for aunt Tiffany letting her know that things came up and it just wasn't working for me here, and a small apology for the bloody towels.

I knew she'd be most likely calling me for an explanation later.

By the time I had reached my car, so many things were going through my head that I just wished that it would just shut down for a moment. All of it for some reason revolved around Paul. He would probably be the only reason I'd stay if I decided, but the amount of times he's attacked me and hurt me, I'd be crazy to stick around.

So why did I feel this pull towards him.

Is this what he was blaming me for? I've never seen so much anger in a man's eyes, and yet it felt like he had pity on me as he watched me crawl helplessly across the floor. The man was unreadable. I would ask _'why me?'_ but I knew it was because I was such an easy target. Usually I'd retaliate, but I couldn't. It was as if I was being held back from making my biggest mistake.

By the time I was half ways to Forks, I could hear the howls. It had to be the pack, and I'm sure they were out to get me by now. If it was the result of what had happened, I was sure I was there target. Without much thought, I sped up and continued in panic, now passing cars left and right until I had reached the small town.

I stopped at the gas station in the middle of town so I couldn't be bothered, quickly pulling out my phone and leaving a message for Bonnie that I was on my way back home, and if I hadn't made it there by a certain time, I probably had met my end. I didn't want to worry her, but I knew the truth needed to be told, and who should be held responsible.

I tossed my phone in the passenger seat before pulling out onto the street and making my way out of town and onto the highway to Seattle. From there, I could at least make my way to Mystic Falls and hopefully I could come up with some sort of protection spell from the Quileute pack.

The howls became louder and I became more worried. By then, I could see the blurs passing through the forest on each side. Before I could really react, one of them bolted across the road, causing me to swerve and spin out until I became to a complete stop in the ditch on the side of the pavement.

I knew I had to react fast, so I shoved my door open and struggled to climb out of the car. I was exhausted as I leaned against the car, trying to come up with some sort of spell to defend myself, but nothing was working. I was still too weak, so I ran as fast as I could.

The howls were so close.

It was as if they were taunting me, circling me like their prey. There were more blurs than I could count, and all I could think of was that this was my last moment in life, fighting for survival once again.

Maybe this time, I'd stay dead.

Of course that didn't stop me though. I figured if I just kept moving forward, I'd think of something. Unfortunately time was running out when I realized that most of the wolves were attempting to make a wall to block me, but they weren't attacking. I kept thinking that they were setting me up for a trap. Each wolf I passed tried latching onto me somehow but failed every time they came close. Either they were being held back, or my spell was working.

Even though my side was getting worse, I continued on with the pack still not too far behind. I figured that I could at least find a public place to rest or something, but the more I ran, the deeper I went into the forest, I was losing hope, and I'm pretty sure that the three wolves stalking me were about to capture me.

That was until I fell and found myself losing way too much energy.

"Brandon! B? B?" I struggled to open my eyes, I was sure I was hallucinating that my best friend was now next to me.

"Bon?" I muttered.

"Yes B! It's me Bon-Bon." She pulled me in, "stay with me B, please stay with me!"

"What's going on?" I asked in a dizzy trance, only recognizing her until a familiar voice spoke.

"Just go with Elena and Damon, we'll keep guard until you're safe." That was Caroline, I was sure of it. "Go BONNIE!"

I could feel myself being lifted before a gust wind pushed me up. I knew by then that a vampire was holding me, and I didn't care. I was too weak to care. If it was Elena taking me away, at least I'd be okay.

"Damon?" My eyes opened slightly, "he's not letting me by."

"TYLER!" My eyes shot open realizing just what Bonnie had shouted. Tyler was here. Why?

I pulled myself away from Elena's arms as she realized I had regained my conscious. I slowly began to scan our surroundings, searching for Tyler mostly, but only found that Bonnie and Damon were standing in front of me.

"What's going on?" I asked weakly.

That's when I could hear the roars. As I looked over Bonnie's shoulder, Damon had us both in his arms, pulling us back to avoid the collisions. I could see two massive wolves collide with each other as other battles broke out. The thing was, I recognized just who was involved and the brutality of it. I pulled myself away from Damon and screamed at the pair to stop only to fall upon deaf ears.

This was turning into another war, one I didn't want. The blood that stained my hands was mine, and it seemed that the fighting was more important. As I look around me, everyone was now fighting for his or her lives except Bonnie and me. She stood next to me, holding some sort of shield around us. I cried out for her to let me go, but it was as if everything was on mute.

"I have to stop them Bonnie!" I cried out once more.

"I can't hold on much longer," she replied before we both fell.

All I could hear were the roars, the screams, the cries, and I felt like I couldn't do anything but make some sort of sacrifice.

"WAIT!" I screamed, tumbling across the battlefield, "PLEASE…" I begged, "STOP!"

Everyone could see that I was weak. I guess it helped a little for the distraction, most of them watched me in pity as I struggled to stand. The wolves seemed a bit concerned too, and I was working up the effort to say what I had to say. By this time Paul and Tyler even pulled back, keeping guard as they too watched me beg and plea.

"I'll go!" I shouted. "Just stop! I promise I'll go!"

By this time, Bonnie was by side again, helping me up as I gasped for air.

"I promise to leave and never come back." I looked down at my bloody hands. "I'll never come back."

"Now!"

I don't know who said it, or why until I could feel myself being lifted and carried away in a blink of an eye. My stomach turned from the blurry sight. It was if my skin was being carried a lot faster than my insides. It was kind of painful. Thankfully by the time Stefan stopped, we were in some sort of abandoned garage or factory.

Stefan held his hand across my mouth, telling me to keep quiet whilst Caroline kneeled beside us. I was sure what exactly was going on, just that they were both careful on what they're next move was.

"I'm going to need you to hold your breath again." Stefan warned me this time, "I still have a ways to bring you."

Before I could ask him what was going on, he already pulled me onto his back and carried me away. I closed my eyes tightly to avoid feel the motion sickness, I wasn't sure where they were taking me, but I was just glad to be getting away from La Push.

_I think._

I listened. But I wasn't sure what was real anymore. I could barely accept that the friends I thought I never had came to my rescue when I needed them the most. How did they know of my moment of distress? Was luck finally on my side for a change? Or was it something entirely different.

"I think he's waking up…" I could hear Caroline's voice again. Could it be her hand rubbing my scalp soothingly? "His heartbeat is picking up again."

"B? Can you hear me?" I squinted to see a silhouette. "Brandon? You're going to be okay now."

"Bon?" I mumbled, slowly rolling to my side, forgetting the sharp pain that suddenly shot up my ribcage. "ggeehhhh…" I winced in pain.

"Take it slow Brandon." Caroline spoke, "you took quite a bit of damage."

"Where am I?" I asked cluelessly.

"Almost home." Bonnie smiled from the passenger seat. I now realized I was lying across the back seat on Caroline's lap.

They were taking me back to Mystic Falls? I wanted to go back in the beginning, now I wasn't so sure about it either. I thanked Caroline as she helped sit up, still feeling a bit dizzy and in pain. I held onto my side, realizing my wound had been properly bandaged that had been tightly wrapped around my midsection. I was sure I was just imagining it, but it felt as if I was being watched, as if a pair of eyes was burning into my skin. That was until I saw him.

His obsidian glare watched me through the rear-view mirror. I turned the same time he had. I could feel the discomfort in the car now, how much I didn't want to be here. As I stare out the window, watching the scenery pass us by, I couldn't help but think of why Tyler was here in the first place, he was just to damn mysterious. I could barely remember the last time that we spoke, or how things really ended with us. Or if he even knows that I ended it.

_Wait! I was dead the last time everyone knew._

I figured Bonnie must have let it slip, or she had to tell them. Either way, they knew about me now, and I wasn't looking forward to any confrontations. I wanted to start over, but now I was ending up in the same place where it all began. I just wanted some source of freedom. Sadly La Push couldn't provide that. Once again, I had to leave like a man-man on the run again. I hated running. I needed to stop somewhere.

"Are you doing okay Brandon?" Caroline rubbed my arm in comfort; I turned and gave her a small nod.

I guess I had more to think about rather than talk. What could I say to them, especially Tyler? They had to be used of they dying part by now, seeing how no one stays dead in Mystic Falls. The more I thought about returning to Mystic Falls, the more I wondered what I would do there. For some reason, I couldn't find a reason to stay either.

_So why did I feel the need to go back to La Push? It almost feels as if I left a part of me there._

I hadn't realized I was crying until Caroline asked me if I was okay again. I made the excuse of telling her that my cut was just a bit uncomfortable. But the real reason was, I just couldn't find a place to belong. It seems everyone is supposed to be where they are, as for me, well I'm not even sure where home is now.

By the time we had reached Mystic Falls, I noticed that a lot of the buildings had been either rebuilt or renovated. When I asked Bonnie what happened, she explained that after the travelers left, the town needed a lot of fixing up to do. The dispute between man, witch and vampire destroyed most of the place. But once most of the travelers were hunted down, things were able to return to normal, or close to it.

I was sad to find that Caroline had lost her mother during this time. Not to the fights, but to a disease. She coped; wrongfully in the beginning –but came back to us when she realized that dealing with all of the pain was necessary. I almost knew that too well.

Now that I was here, I wasn't sure how long I would stay. I didn't want to be a constant burden, but it seemed that I would always be caught in the line of trouble because of what I am. Both Bonnie and I have tried, but none have let us be. We're constantly… summoned because we usually know the answer.

"I'm getting off here too." Caroline added just as Bonnie opened her door to lift the seat forward to let me out.

"Wait!" Tyler called out, all of us looking back at man who remained silent until now. "Ummm…" he stalled for a moment, "can I talk to you Brandon? I promise I'll bring you back."

I was afraid of this. Well more of wanting to avoid any interactions. As I looked at Bonnie and Caroline for some sort of support, they both let me decide. I bit my lip, procrastinating and wondering if I was doing the right thing. I gave a small nod before pushing the seat back and sitting in the passenger side.

"I'll be back soon, I promise." I told Bonnie, hoping Tyler understood I meant what I meant.

From what I seen, if this was meant to be something, than we'd need to rebuild the bridge I burnt the moment I left.

I closed the door and gave a small wave to both of my concerned friends as we slowly drove away. I didn't say anything as we drove onto the freeway, mostly because I was expecting for Tyler to begin, but he didn't say a word. It was all too familiar, and by the time I realized where we were going, I had no energy to really argue with it. We were already driving up to the Lockwood estate, and I was getting nervous.

When we stopped, I wasn't sure where to go from there. When he got out of the car, I was far to nervous to follow, that was until he came to my side and opened my door for me, reaching his hand out for me to grab. I looked at him reluctantly before I reached for it, feeling the immediate heat as he pulled me up and closed the door.

He was smiling. I wasn't.

"I just want to talk, I promise."

He let go of my hand and made his way up the steps and into the house, leaving the door open for me to follow. I stood for a moment, thinking that this was my chance to run again, but a big part of me wanted to know just exactly what he wanted. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans before I finally took a step forward, reminding myself of one thing.

_He just wants to talk._

**REVIEW!**

**TurnItUp03**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: First things first, I want to let you know that I changed a few things for TVD fans from what happened in the last season. I kind of wanted to incorporate something different, and something to help Brandon strengthen his powers. **

**I know this might seem a bit rushed, but this is just the beginning of what is yet to come. So, I hope once you finish reading, you leave a review.**

**D: Disclaimed.**

* * *

Chapter Nine

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Not much had changed here.

Other than the absence of Mr. Lockwood, it was as if it was the time I was here. The two stairwells side-by-side that led straight up to the second floor, the living area to my left, dining area to my right, the fancy drapes that hung on the windows, the odd trinkets that sat on the fancy mahogany side tables, and the family photo that had hung above the opening to the lounge, all decorated by Tyler's mother.

I hadn't realized Tyler had left and returned with a glass of wine for me, and a whiskey for him, ushering me to follow him to the den area next to his father's office. I've been there once or twice when he needed to talk to me privately, so I wasn't sure just how personal things were going to get once he started talking.

He placed his glass down on the side table next to the sofa chair he sat in, I seated myself further from him at he end of the sofa-chair. I figured I'd occupy myself by looking around the room, noticing the books on the shelves along with small stone statues. The curtains opened to the garden out back. A small coffee table that separated the seating arrangements along with the few different wines and whiskey bottles that sat across with the glasses and coasters.

"How've ya been?" He almost mumbled, taking a sip of his whiskey.

I turned my gaze to him, giving him a half-smile before replying quietly, "Fine. Could've been better."

"Better than dead?" He asked almost sarcastically.

I glared. "I guess you could say that."

"I thought you were." He said more serious now as he leaned forward, his hands clasped together in front of him.

"I was supposed to be." I replied without much care, "I didn't want anyone to know because it just seemed better that way. I could finally move on."

"From what? You'll always be what you are Brandon." His tone began to change.

"Apparently not." I replied with annoyance, "the moment I died and came back, I came back as a nothing, lost everything. I had to go. I needed to."

"I could've helped you this time Brandon." He argued.

"No you couldn't have Tyler," I argued back, "not when you were far too in to keeping your reputation intact. You'd soon put my life at risk just as Klaus would for vengeance. I would never amount to anything."

"That's bullshit Brandon and you know it." He said angered.

"No it's not." I replied upset, "so many times I've been put on the back burner, only summoned when needed. I guarantee my absence was unknown until everyone realized that Bonnie was riding solo. I get it now though, Bonnie is the only witch needed here, which is why I left. I just… I ended up in the wrong direction."

"I've always cared about you Brandon, I've said it more than once." He added.

"But you were never always sure Tyler." I stated, "every time it came down to decisions, you couldn't make them. I always knew your choices: I could take care of myself because I was who I was, but you never once asked me if I would be. You'd often run off and expect me to be waiting for you every time. I wasn't having any of that. I grew tired of it all."

"Because I knew that you never needed me. I always thought that you were too good for me. It was just easier to let you believe I didn't care at times because I had hoped you'd find someone who could treat you better."

"That's bullshit Tyler." I scowled.

"Is it?" He asked, "I'm a fucking mess Brandon, always have been. I could never understand what you really seen in me to stay. It was easier to push you away because I wasn't worth saving. I just did it the wrong way I guess."

"So why tell me now?" I asked annoyed, "if you cared so much, why put me through hell and try to pick me up every time. It was as if you enjoyed playing me every time. Constantly, for my whole life I tried to find my place, but every time I figured I found it, you would turn it all upside down."

"Because my world turned upside down when I kept searching for you when Bonnie lifted the wall. It didn't take long to realize you were dead. I dreaded the though of you never returning. " He sighed in distress. "When the portals were resealed, I didn't have time after that to look for you because of the traveller's disturbance. They took everything and banished me along with the other vampires. My only hope was to find Bonnie, but even she had disappeared for awhile."

"Once we started reuniting, we came across another witch, hunger for power." He continued, "he was strong enough to meddle with portals and trap Bonnie and Damon in a realm where he was, freeing himself first until Bonnie was able to, but you weren't with her."

"I thought I lost you then." It sounded as if he whimpered, "we all did. Then Bonnie left unannounced and hadn't let any of us know what was going on. While we were dealing with Kai, the witch, she came back a couple weeks later, and by that time we thought she left to rebuild her strengths and find a solution, but that was before I was forced to make decision, I faced the consequences of becoming a werewolf again. That's when I discovered Bonnie was hiding something from us; you."

"How'd you find out?" I asked.

"When I happen to see 'B' blink across the screen on her cell phone. The number was unrecognizable, but after some research, I had discovered that it was coming from a small town called Forks Washington." He took another drink of his whiskey, "when I asked Bonnie, she kept coming up with different excuses until I was able to get it out of her. It seems I had come at the right time too seeing the predicament you were in."

"But why the others?" I asked.

"We all deserved out chance to redeem ourselves." He shrugged, "I'm not the only one who feels like shit for letting you go, you did happen to help us out quite a bit when we needed you, especially with Klaus."

"This Kai guys isn't dead right?" I asked bluntly. He didn't respond. "Fuck! I knew it. If Bonnie can't help, what more can I do?"

"You always worked better as a team, and you have me this time." He moved to the seat next to me, "I promise from here on Brandon, I will be there next to you, I will be there to protect you."

"You sound so sure." I muttered, "but if you couldn't kill this guy before, then what makes you think we all can if you say he's this powerful."

"Because he's part vampire now. He became a hybrid and we figured that he's still up for something big. Which is why Bonnie decided we just might need your help to."

"Why didn't she call me?" I asked.

"Because she said you were dealing with your own problems at the moment, we just didn't know that it was another pack of wolves." He grumbled, "I just wish she would've told me sooner."

"It's the past now." I tried to ignore the facts, mainly Paul. "I'll help to get my mind off of a few things, but I'm not promising you anything Tyler."

"Fine," he grumbled again, "but I'm keeping my word."

I wasn't sure of Tyler's intentions in the beginning, and I didn't want to know. But my theories went for him trying to woo me in some way. He said he was devastated when he though he lost me, and now he's making promises again? He'd have to prove himself.

Rather that waste time, I told Tyler to bring me back so me and Bonnie could get back to the plan and hopefully come up with a way to deal with the hybrid. I hadn't said much other than listened to Tyler as he began telling me about the changes and importance of things I might need to know.

Jeremy was off to college, and Ric happened to be marrying a woman he had gotten pregnant this weekend. Everyone figures within this small amount of time, Kai would attack for the reason his vengeance included ending Ric's fiancé's life and the children she carried. Long story short, Kai was no one to mess with unless we knew what we're doing.

The upside of it all, Kai knew nothing about me.

Bonnie figured that if I kept my existence a secret, we could come up with a sneak attack to finally get rid of him and we could finally be at peace. I just didn't know where to begin. I was still making connections with my powers, and the others were already set to face the man that was causing havoc.

During the entire planning, I couldn't help to remain focused, especially when a part of me was still thinking of Paul. Once again, I had left with thinks unresolved, and I was sure that I messed that bit up. I knew eventually I'd have to return to make things right, it's just I was sure if I would ever get to it.

Attempting to focus on the plan, I was sure that I was going in blindsided. I didn't want to screw this up, especially when so many lived were at risk. But as quick as everything came, it seemed everything was being left up to me.

Word had broken out that the chapel where the wedding was taking place had been destroyed, and Bonnie happened to be there. I began panicking, sure that the entire plan was completely worthless. I had to think of something since it seem that the hybrid was acting fast with his moves. It was as if he was using cheat codes to win the game, I just needed to find my own way to get through it as well.

I just didn't know how brutal the witch slash vampire could be.

The thing was, he knew I was coming; somehow. Rather than calling Damon, he had a new proposition. Me.

I didn't understand at first, but my roots weren't only of the witch's power, but somehow connected to the genes of shape shifters. It intrigued Kai. Which is why his plan changed. Well sort of.

Somehow he tied Bonnie's soul to Elena's, putting Elena to rest unless Bonnie dies to take her place. If it were my decision to keep it as it was, I would. But that also meant that the Salvatore's would be targeting me next.

I was caught in the middle for the first time.

While Kai watched the entire thing play out, I was doing my best to flee with Bonnie, trying my best to keep her alive while Damon searched high and low for me. That's when Tyler called me.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" He asked pissed off.

"I don't have time for this Tyler." I argued, still holding onto Bonnie, figuring I'd bring her to a safer place then here. Her blood still on my hands, trying to think what I could do, and running wasn't one of them.

"Look, I said I was going to protect you, and I meant it, WHERE ARE YOU!" He shouted through the phone.

"I'll meet you at your house." Then I hung up.

This was my only option. I had to fix things, and if that meant I had to fight Damon and Kai, I would. I usually let them underestimate who I am, forgetting that I do it the most. Bonnie always believed in me, and I had to prove it.

I found myself cruising towards the Lockwood estate. Bonnie still falling in and out of conscious, finding myself promising her that everything was going to be okay. Without giving it much thought, I picked up my phone and dialed Caroline.

"Brandon, is Bonnie okay?"

"Yeah, now don't lie to me Caroline, who's with you?" I asked unsure.

"It's just me, I've been trying to find Damon and Stefan, I think they're after you." She said worried.

"I need you to meet Tyler at his place as soon as possible." I spoke quickly. "I need you there to protect Bonnie while I figure things out."

"I'm on my way." The phone went dead by the time I found myself already at the Lockwood driveway, swerving around each corner until I skidded in front of the house.

"Is she okay?" Tyler asked just as Caroline came from behind.

"She's bleeding bad." I explained, "I removed the shard, she just needs to be cleansed and bandaged."

"I'll get right on it." Caroline acted quickly as she lifted Bonnie.

"Listen Bonnie!" I held her face in my hands, "I need you to keep chanting the healing tools, you need to get better, I might need your help eventually."

She nodded before Caroline carried her inside. I quickly made my way to the driver's seat just as Tyler followed me.

"And what are you going to do?" He asked concerned.

"I'm going after Kai." I explained, "I'm getting rid of him and then I can worry about breaking the stupid spell."

"But he's strong Brandon, you can't face him alone." He pulled me back.

"I have to." I argued. "I owe Bonnie this, and if I can figure this out, maybe acting out before I think just might work."

"So you're going in this blindly?" He shouted again, "that's stupid Brandon, let me help you, I'll go with you."

"NO! Tyler, no," I stopped him, "I need you here to protect Bonnie, please, just trust me."

He stared into my eyes intently. Unexpectantly placing his lips on mine for a heated kiss, "be careful, and I swear if he harms you, I'm hunting him down and killing him myself."

I didn't say anything after that but nodded before getting into the car. What more could I say? He just kissed me with passion, like he used to, and I was supposed to react. I tried my best to focus on the adrenaline, but Tyler through me off a bit.

I shook my head out of the trance and continued on driving. I figured that Kai would still be at the church, gloating in to himself and at least expecting one of us. I just hoped that the Salvatore's weren't there to interfere.

Once again, fate hadn't been on my side.

There stood Damon and Stefan in the front yard with Kai behind them at the entrance with a smirk on his face. I kept thinking that now was my chance to turn around and run, but the bigger part of me told me that I right now, I could do some serious damage if I took my anger out on the wrong people. The moment I seen Stefan, I had one thing on my mind that could just help me or destroy me.

Ripper.

I slammed on the breaks and skidded through the parking lot. Getting out and slamming the door.

In an instant, Stefan came running towards me, charging as if he was being controlled. Rather than back down, I did what I could. "I don't have time for this." I hissed as I slammed by hands together and twisted them, chanting a spell that sent the vampire to his knees and tumbling back against the cement blocks behind him.

By then, Damon figured he'd make his move, only to end up in my grasp as I sent the searing pain of fire through his body, causing him to shriek as I pulled all my strength forward and picked him up before slamming his solid body to the cement, causing it to crack below him.

Stefan had already made his recovery, already at my side as he shoved me back and flying across the lawn. I did what I had to do and protected myself to lessen the damage before they both came after me again. I figured if they wanted to play, then it was a game they were going to get.

I acted as if I had already given in. Holding onto my side as I weakly stood up, pretending to fall to my knees as they both held a smirk.

"It's too bad really." Kai spoke, "you might have been a great use to me. But it seems you enjoy pissing everybody off. Now they can do what I don't need to."

"Where is Bonnie?" Damon asked.

"Right next to Elena!" I smirked before getting up and calling upon every ounce of power I needed to perform my next spell.

I began chanting as I began burning them once again, intensifying it as I pulled Damon before Stefan as he swung and collided his fist into his brother rather than me. Kai remained in his spot, laughing darkly as I made both vampires' torture each other until they seem to fall weak enough for me to deal with Kai himself.

"This is for the best!" I said as I pulled out the vervaine powder and formed a barrier around them to trap them.

"Clever little witch, aren't you?" Kai mocked as he saw the pair sitting helplessly in the invisible dome above them. "It seems Bonnie isn't the only one with such great strengths. But don't underestimate me. I do this for the pleasure."

"I do this for the thrill." I smiled mischievously.

With one word, I sent an airwave in his direction that sent him flying through the church doors and back into the building. I quickly followed, noticing all of the dead bodies that lay everywhere. I almost vomited in disgust as the hybrid chuckled with satisfaction.

Straight across from me he stood in the scattered area, bodies at his feet, flames behind him and above. Blood splattered on his face, faded charcoal smeared on his cheek, his eyes dark as his hair. His leather jacket now ripped, showing his white-T and his faded ripped jeans.

In a blink of an eye he had already made it to my side. His arm wrapped around my waist with his other over my and his fingers now squeezing and digging into my skin. I tried pulling his arms off of me, only for him to hold on even tighter than before. I tried gasping for air, realizing I had to come up with something to set me free, but I couldn't even speak.

"You see," he chuckled darkly as he dug his nails tighter, drawing blood, "the thing about being a witch, you need to learn how to form a spell without having to say a chant. It's too bad that you will never get the chance to know how."

As I expected him to finish me off, to call on my last memories before my life would flash before my eyes, I could hear a sudden crack before a shriek could be heard next to my ear. At that moment, the arms released me just as I felt both of us collapse forward and Kai's weight being pulled off of me.

I turned to see a dark wolf dragging the hybrid across the floor and out the front door before the wolf tossed Kai across the lawn.

"TYLER!" I shouted.

But I was left unheard just as he continued to attack the hybrid. It seemed if Tyler had the upper hand for a while until Kai was able to pound his fist on to of Tyler's massive head, almost knocking him out. I pulled myself forward just as Kai stood and kicked Tyler across the lawn and into the parking lot. Just as he was ready to finish Tyler off I shouted.

"KAI!" I gasped out. "IT'S ME YOU WANTED! NOT HIM!"

The hybrid stopped in his tracks and turned to me with a smirk, the dark expression I hated seeing on his face. "But if I kill him first, I can finish you off."

"Not if I can help it!" I replied, chanting again just as I watched him fall forward in pain. "It seems you've underestimated me!" I figured chanting in my thoughts would be strong enough as I approached him. "But you tend to forget that being a witch, we all started somewhere."

I wrapped my hands around the neck from behind and pulled him up, "now it's time for you to suffer."

"Kill me and you'll never break the spell." He chuckled, "you need me."

"No, unlike you, I have something to prove." With that, I sent electric shocks through his body before lifting him with what strength I could gather, only to fall next to him. I hated myself for falling weak, but it was all getting the best of me.

He now lay a few feet from me with a smile still on his face. "I knew you couldn't finish the job."

"Doesn't mean that someone wont." I mocked him, "unlike you, I don't work alone."

By this time, I had hoped that at least Tyler would come to my aid, but no one was left in sight. I had to think of something to get up, but both of us were far too weak to even move to reach each other. Kai for once was just as helpless as I was. That was until I could feel his hand grasp onto my shoulder.

"They've always been weaker than me." He chuckled again, "any last words."

"Yeah!" I figured I'd at least go with a bang, "Fuck You!"

In that moment, it was as if everything had flashed before me. Just as Kai held me in front of him, was the same moment he was attacked and pulled away by a pack of wolves. It wasn't Tyler, but Paul.

I watched as Kai screamed his last breath before the silver wolf pulled him and practically tossed him in the air before three more wolves pounced onto him, pulling each of his limbs in different directions. Finishing him of as they tossed the remains into the fire pits surrounding us.

I wanted to sigh in relief, but before I could react in any way, I fell forward and saw nothing but blackness.

I had passed out again.

**A/N: SO, I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. If so, please leave a review. I would love to hear from you all and let me know what you think.**

**Also, if you read 'Put You In A Room,' I have a poll on my profile in regards to that.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	11. Chapter 10

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Ten

* * *

Ever get tired of history repeating itself?

Either I was prone to hurting myself, or someone was really out to get me. Either way, no one could explain to me exactly why I keep ending up on bed rest, healing from my clumsy antics. Only this time, I didn't know where I was, or the reason I was alone. Again.

The room was, somewhat comfortable. It was too dark to actually see where I was, or recognize anything. I know I've never been here before.

"You're awake?"

I turned to see a very concerned Bonnie. She actually looked a little lost and exhausted while she handed me a glass of water. I was afraid to ask what happened, but a big part of me wanted to know.

"Is everything fine?"

She turned back to expressionless. "Things seem to have complicated themselves."

"Oh." I stared down, sighing in defeat. "So Kai won?"

"No," She sat next to me, "they were able to get rid of him, you all did a great job."

"Then what's wrong?" Before I could I ask, I realized it, "Elena didn't make it?"

"Not necessarily," she leaned in to comfort me, "the spell is still intact, and I'm sure with your help, we'll find some sort of way to break it."

"I can't Bonnie, I can't." I didn't mean to let myself go, but it felt as if I could no longer hold in the angst. I was burdened with such a weight that I couldn't hold in anymore. The tears just escaped, "I just keep messing things up, I can't do anything right."

"Give yourself some credit B, you do what you have to do," she pulled my gaze to hers, "listen to me B, you are able to do one thing that I can never do, and that's persevere even though it puts those you loved ones at risk. Sometimes the tasks need to be done."

"Great," I mocked, "I'm heartless."

"You're also great at throwing pity-parties, but we'll leave it at that for a moment." She teased.

"Where are you going?" I asked nervous.

"Umm…" she said with hesitance, "I'm going to say goodbye to Elena."

I hated hearing it, but what else was she supposed to say. Elena was gone, and the chances of bringing her back slim to none, even if Bonnie and I did think of something, it would most likely have its consequences. But that's what the thing was; Elena was my selfish sacrifice; so I wouldn't lose Bonnie. I couldn't lose Bonnie. But I knew I had to be there for her no matter what. If I am supposed to help in some way, I'll try my best.

"Listen B, I need to tell you something before I go to the Salvatores." I sat back and waited, "there's a reason the Quileute pack is here."

"There still here?" I asked a bit nervous.

"Yeah," She gave me a painful smile, "which is why they requested to speak to you while I'm over there."

"You're going to leave me alone with them?" I asked in a panic, "are you crazy? They'll kill me."

"No they won't," she grabbed onto me, "they're not here to hurt you in anyway."

"And what makes you so sure?" I mocked her. "I've seen how brutal they can become when their anger get's the best of them."

"Believe me, I had the same concerns until I spoke to the alpha," she hushed me, "the thing is, none of them are allowed to hurt you."

"What?" I looked at her as if she was crazy, "what the hell?"

"I can't," she interrupted, "I'll let them explain. I have to go."

I couldn't believe that she was leaving me alone with those animals, and with no one to protect me or help me at my weakest moment. Was this payback for Elena? Did I screw up that much that they felt this is what I deserved? Talk about brutality. If I could get up and leave, this would be my chance to leave forever. Right now I hated the world and everyone in it.

"You'll be okay B," Bonnie stopped at the exit, "I promise."

"But…" before I could get another word out, she was gone, and I was left alone in this room. That was until the last person I expected walked into the room.

Seth.

"How are you feeling?" He said in a soft timid tone, expression actually filled with concern.

"Seth?"

"Yeah!" He shrugged with a chuckle, dressed in a muscle-t and jean shorts, "Sam thought it might be best if I came to talk to you first before any of them came in."

"But why?"

"So it wouldn't freak you out." He laughed again, "I guess my charm is enough to help settle anyone."

"You do have a way with people Seth." I admitted. "Why are you here?"

"I don't understand fully," he shrugged, "which is why, and if you don't mind, I could call Sam in now to explain everything."

"Why can't you?"

"Because I might miss something," He smiled, "and besides, Sam ain't that bad, you should know that."

The fact was, I knew Sam wasn't that bad. In fact, I have never seen him react any different than he was. He was known as a well-respected man that didn't seem to judge anyone. Very passionate at that, and levelheaded. If it wasn't for him, I don't think my feuds with Paul would have ended with understanding.

So I nodded.

As I waited nervously, Seth left to call the man. I tried listening the best I could, but all I could hear were muffled arguments that seemed to come from the lower-level of the building. Then Sam came in following Seth in toe. I was sure by then that he was even more nervous than I was. But I couldn't tell why as he sat at the chair at the foot of the bed, reluctantly lifting it to bring it next to Seth and me.

"S-so? Umm…" He sighed nervously, "how are you feeling?"

"Could be better." I admitted.

The room went silent for a moment. I watched Seth as we both waited for Sam to say something, but Sam seemed to be challenged for words. It was painful to see the man fidget in his chair, unsure where to begin.

"Why don't you start with why you're here." I suggested.

"Um." He muttered nervously. "There's so much to say first Brandon, but where I do begin is something I just can't blurt out. What you know and don't know about our people can unsettle you, and now we've come across something that has never been heard of."

"How bad is it?" I asked.

"Technically," Seth added, "it isn't bad, it just hasn't been heard of."

"So what does it have to do with me?" I asked.

"Everything." Sam replied, "listen Brandon, there are a few things that I'm going to have to skip, like where our history began to why we called you in the first place."

"To try and break an imprint." I stated the obvious.

"Yeah," he gave a defeated chuckle, "we sure did."

I gave Sam a skeptical expression before receiving a confused one from Seth. It's like we were all on three different pages. Sam had all the info, Seth knew some of it but still hadn't a clue, and I knew nothing to their reasons. Why were they here, and most of all, what were they talking to me? Why did they need to talk to me?

"Look Sam!" I said frustrated, "either spit it out or go."

"You did." Was all he said. It was almost all he could seem to say. I waited for anything, but even Seth was unsure what the man was getting at.

"Did what?" Seth asked for me.

"The imprint." Sam shook his head in frustration. "He broke it. We don't know how, but he broke the imprint."

I remained mute, recalling the exact moment I believed it to happen. When Paul and me both saw Rachel in what I was sure to be his visions. The chains. Practically ropes, tied to Paul's wolf, but not him. Something was different. I remember feeling the guilt, the resentment and pity coming from Rachel. She didn't feel what Paul felt. And Paul's emotions felt forced.

He claimed he loved the girl with his every existence, and though he may regret it, something or somebody was keeping him here. Though he called upon death more than once, it never came. It was in his head that he has to be with his imprint under any circumstances, but his heart said so much different. That I could see, and I had to make sure he knew that in some way.

Then the lines broke. Severed. Disappeared the moment they disconnected themselves from Rachel and Paul's wolf.

"So what seems to be the problem?" I asked, "I did what you asked me."

"But wasn't it you that said that there could be consequences?" Sam asked, I looked at him puzzled and shrugged as I recalled saying those exact words. "We believe there was, which is why Paul reacted the way he did."

"He practically beat the shit out of me because I did him a favor?" I seethed, "what a way to thank a person for giving them that freedom. What happened after that, I shouldn't have been held accountable."

"The council believe you should," Sam added, "in fact they believe that you used your magic to implement it, It took me convincing them that you had no clue."

"What are you talking about Sam?" I asked a bit angered.

"The imprint Brandon." He spoke louder. "The imprint. When you broke the imprint between Rachel and Paul, somehow, and for some reason… the imprint found you."

"What? What do you mean exactly?"

"Paul imprinted on you, so he freaked out and took it out on you," Sam finished, "which probably was one of his biggest mistakes."

"No." I shook my head, staring at both the men as if they were crazy, "no, no, no, there is no way in hell that could've happened."

"That's what we thought." Sam continued, "but after seeing exactly what Paul saw, what he felt, what he experienced, it was so much more intense then it had been when he imprinted on Rachel. With you," he paused for a moment, "with you, it felt exactly how I felt when I imprinted on Emily, when Jared imprinted on Kim. The more it had sunken in, the more we realized that Paul was connected to you."

"Connected?" I looked at them with suspicion. "What kind of connection allows someone to attack another person until they are almost out of breath?"

"The type that is just as scared as any of us was." Seth added, "you have to understand Brandon that Paul doesn't know how to react to surprises. The moment we saw what happened, we realized just how hurt Paul was. He hated himself. He kept chanting to himself that he needed to find you, he needed to beg for forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?" Now this I found hard to believe.

"Paul has always been volatile and aggressive. Not only is it in his nature, but his wolf intensifies it. The moment he laid a hand on you was the moment his wolf implemented the pain on him." Sam tried explaining, "It was a way of his wolf punishing him for his actions. Paul's a mess."

"Well that's not my fault."

Was I being unfair? It sure felt like it. But I'm pissed off that I was practically tossed aside like garbage, injured and expected to survive when I could barely make a run for it. I was constantly under the radar, and I thought it was to destroy me. If it hadn't been for Bonnie and the others, I wouldn't have escaped.

I'm sure they were expecting me to forgive and forget everything Paul had put me through. I just couldn't understand why I wanted to. I pitied the man for being put in this position. But mostly, I hated that I felt more like a target than anything.

"We're not saying it is." Seth explained, "but the moment we found out, we could feel the devastation he was facing. Even though we promised, as brothers, to stay by his side was we went to find you, we still found it hard to believe that Paul Lahote was given another chance at love."

"Is that what you call it?" I didn't mean to glare at Seth, but after seeing the circumstances of what an imprint meant, I was beginning to loathe the aspect of it.

"It's pretty damn close to it." For once I witnessed Seth's attitude turn sour. "As much as I seen change peoples life for the worse, it did make others better. Those who are affected persevere and accept it in time. I see it as something so sacred that the spirits found that one person who was made perfectly for us. Say what you want, Rachel wasn't enough, and you saved Paul from that. Maybe the spirits felt that you were perfect for him, whether you are a man or not."

"But he's a homophobe." I stated the obvious. "I've been on the other side of his outbursts too many times to see something different."

"Which is why he's here to make things better." Sam said. "Did you know that he's the one that found you in the first place?"

I looked at him unsure. Seth nodded. I didn't know what to think or how to feel.

"Paul could feel your pain, and so could we." Sam actually let a tear fall down his cheek, Seth turned away for a moment. "We knew someone was hurting you still. We knew that you were in trouble, and we had to put in every effort that we had to make sure Jacob and the Cullens were on standby if we ever needed them. That's when you disappeared from Alice's visions."

"What?"

"We knew that it could mean two things." Sam continued. "Either you were dead, or Paul made it by your side. Either way, keeping up with him was even difficult for us. We feared that we were about to lose our brother for the reason Alice mentioned that the vampire you were up against was far much stronger than any they've encountered. But then we caught up to Paul. He wasn't about to give up. By this time he figured he was determined to keep moving forward to avenge your death. As brothers, we followed in such anger, in so much hatred for this creature that we wanted him to suffer."

"How is that Paul found me?"

"The connection." Sam replied, "the closer we came to you, the stronger the connection was. Imagine the relief we had when we saw that the vampire was still trying to bring you down, and that's when we realized that the other wolf saved you. That's where we finished it."

"I wasn't sure if it was Paul that I saw." I admitted.

"It was." Seth jumped in, "you should've seen how much of animal the man became. That leech had nothing against the rest of us, not when Paul practically savagely attacked his neck. From then on, we all jumped in and tore him limb from limb."

In a way, I was grateful for their rescue, but now I was in a rut when it came to finding a way to relieve Elena from her curse. Because of my selfishness, I had to find a way to make things right for everyone here. They put everything aside to rescue me, and all I did was screw things up because I just wanted the vampire gone.

"Paul wouldn't let anyone near you." Sam spoke up, "the moment he saw your body laying unconscious in middle of the yard, he balled his eyes out and begged you to come back to him."

I didn't say a thing because I still found it hard to believe that he would even want to touch me. Now he was crying over me? I've never seen much emotion from him other than his anger towards a lot of people, including his pack. Passion didn't seem to exist for the man, so how do I believe that he was practically grieving for me.

"It took Bonnie to take action in order for Carlisle to come and check on you." Seth added. "Paul's been miserable since he hasn't been able to check on you like he wanted to."

"He wants to see you?" That surprised me when Sam asked.

I admit, I was scared. How do I give a response when all I could think of was the monster Paul turned out to be? Then I remembered Tyler.

"Where's Tyler?" I asked instead.

"Tyler? Who's Tyler?" Seth questioned.

"The other wolf." Sam informed him, "and he said he'd be back as soon as he could. Right now, him and Paul can't stand each other."

"But why?" I asked annoyed.

"Oh him," Seth tuned in, "what do you think Brandon?" Seth said stating the obvious, "they're both in love with you. It's kind of weird to see Paul in such a state."

"Why would Tyler leave?" I asked.

"Because even he knows that he has to give Paul a chance." Sam said.

"That doesn't even sound like Tyler." I said annoyed.

"Even he respects pack laws." Seth added.

"Can I let Paul in?" Sam asked.

"Fine." I agreed, "but if he slips and I feel like shit is going to hit the fan, I want him out of here or I wont hesitate to do myself."

They both nodded. I wasn't sure why I was suddenly putting on a brave face when I wasn't even sure I could take care of myself anymore. I was exhausted. I hated the feeling too. It made me feel weak and vulnerable. And now I was nervous and scared at the same time; not a good combination.

But I waited.

Trying my best to act as if didn't faze me when the entire time I felt like I was screaming inside. I wanted to run again. I wanted an escape. I just wanted my freedom from this place. I didn't want to be attached to anyone. It scared the shit out of me.

Then I heard him clear his throat.

Dimly in the shadows of the door, I could see the tall figure walk nervously towards me. I couldn't see his face, but I could feel his emotions. Far more than what I expected; he felt guilt. I couldn't see what he was holding, nor could I see the tears as I could hear his almost silent sobs. For once, I was worried for him.

It wasn't then until I realized how bad I looked. There were bruises all over me, my arm was fractured, my ribs were still healing, my ankle was broken once again, and I was in no condition to run away as I wanted to.

But here he stood. He had flowers. He slowly placed them on my lap while knelt down. Before meeting my gaze, he buried his face in his hands as he knelt next to me on the bed. Sam and Seth stayed put at the door while Paul practically showed his vulnerable side. I didn't know how to respond as I could hear his sobs, his silent apologies while he rubbed his face deeper into his palms. My heart was about to break at the sight. I've never seen Paul so… exposed.

Just like an instinct, my hand reached over and touched his. His entire body froze to my touch; mine was in some sort of state of shock.

We stayed still for what seemed to be a lifetime.

Then he began to rub his moist cheek against my palm, I watched dumbfounded, as it seemed he craved my touch. I was unsure though until he turned my palm to kiss the backside of my hand. I wanted to pull away, but I didn't have the strength to. I was falling weak to his touch; to the energy I could feel coming from him.

"I wish I could take all of this pain away for you." He whimpered. I was still speechless.

This wasn't Paul. He never gave a damn about anyone, especially me. I disgusted him, I didn't want to believe that it could so easily change. A part of me was still far too upset with him to forgive and forget. I wanted him to know how it felt to feel like a burden, to feel as if I was just a tool in this game that everyone was playing.

I pulled away and looked out the window.

"Please." He begged. "Give me a chance."

There was so much I wanted to say to him; to tell him. But where do I begin? Do I bring up the pain and inflictions he caused? Should I be so shallow to do so, or just let the shit go and see where this went? I couldn't though. I needed him to know that I never in my life felt so unwanted, and he was the cause of it. I hated myself over and over for falling into these traps.

It was like a re-run with Tyler.

Now they were both asking for a second chance?

"I need time to think." I muttered.

"How much time?" Paul asked a bit worried.

"I don't know Paul," I turned to him, "but it's going to take more than what I heard for redemption."

"I understand." He actually didn't argue. "I'll be here if you need to talk."

"No, Paul. I can't." I looked at him again. "I need space too. From you and Tyler. I just can't jump at decisions that seem a bit farfetched when the both of you expect it."

"You want me to leave?" He asked hurt.

"For now, yes." I admitted. "I can't think straight when you both are expecting me to be something I'm not."

"Tyler? I thought you hated him?" Paul asked concerned.

"I thought I hated you." I stated. He bowed his head in shame.

"You need to understand something Paul," I continued, "you both put me in the same predicaments, and it's so hard for me to just forgive and forget. The things you called me, the way you both treated me, the physical and mental abuse when I all I did was try to be there for the both of you. It just doesn't seem fair that I should throw myself in either of your arms because you ask me to, or fate wants me to. The pain is still there. The sleepless nights are reminders of the constant suffering I faced because I never thought I would ever be good enough for anyone. I was just another person when it came down to it. Never once has anyone acknowledged what I achieved because too many focused on my screw-ups. It was getting to the point that I was loathing waking up the next morning because I was trying to find it's worth."

"I'm so sorry baby…" He moved in closer to feel my touch again. "I never meant to react the way I had, I would take everything back if I could. I would take on all the pain just so you wouldn't have to, I would make sure that from here on out that no one will ever hurt you again, especially me."

"It's not that simple Paul." I said a bit upset, "you imprinted Paul. Something tells me that you would never be here if it wasn't for the false reasons placed upon you. I disgusted you, and to hear that changed, I will never know if the real you would have changed. Right now, it's just the imprint."

"It's not, I swear." He wiped his tears. "I fucked up, I get it. My actions are constant reminders of how wrong I treated you. I was scared shitless the moment I saw you because it was you that gave me the hope I needed. I blamed you when I should have told you how I really felt about you. I adored you, and I couldn't admit it because I was too much of a coward to admit it. The imprint was a bitch-slap in my face because now I don't know if I can ever prove to you that how I feel is real in most ways. I'm still finding myself Brandon, I need you to help lead the way."

"Are you willing to prove it?" I asked, unsure where I was going with this.

"I will do everything in my power to prove it to you." He kissed my hand without asking, I pulled away again.

"Fine," I said, "but be warned that Tyler might have a say in this. If he meant what he said, than one of you have to up their game. I'm not saying this to make either of you hate each other or for you both to end up fighting, I just want proof. I just need to feel that there is hope once again."

"Done," he said so surely before standing up to walk to the door, "just know that I'm not giving up, not this time. "

**A/N: I'm really hoping the reviews pick up on this, it kind of sucks that I'm getting tons of views but only a few reviews. It does get discouraging.**

**To those who read and reviewed, thanks a ton. ****, ****JayJayMalik****, and of course ****rAbiDmutt03****,**** I owe the three of you this update -even though it may not be much- thanks for your kind words.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Apologies for the long wait, but here's a longer chapter to make it up to you. Enjoy**

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

* * *

Maybe I messed up.

But what else is new. I do everything on an impulse; those who know me should know this by now. I always believed that there has always been a way out, but maybe this time I was far over my head to believe that we could do something for Elena Gilbert. I was sure that once we got rid of Kai, at least we'd have a free path to sort things out. But now that everything seems attached to what Kai's powers were, I'm not sure if I could help Bonnie break this curse without losing her.

That was my biggest concern. I didn't want to end up losing my best friend just so someone like Damon Salvatore could have the love of his life back. I didn't think he deserved it, but if this is what Bonnie wanted, then I was willing to do my best. But yet, nothing was coming up.

It was all a great distraction from what was really on my mind.

But that didn't make it all go away. After my slight recovery from the battle, things had begun to slowly come to light, and the rude awakening I was hoping to avoid had come full circle. I wanted to believe that just maybe I was able to move on without disturbances, but now I made shit a lot worse than I had planned, and that was I messing things up once again.

I guess it all sums up to Paul and Tyler.

Two men who would seem entirely different in every way, but somehow eerily similar to a point. Tyler still believed that he was the boss in many ways, and when it came down to me, he still had his habits of believing that I would jump for him when I used to. Still the cocky bastard that thought I belonged to him the moment another man came into my life, it's just, I didn't know that another came into my life.

Now Paul was different this time. What used to be a close replica to Tyler; sworn to be twins in some way by their volatile personalities and assertive yet stubborn personalities –faded with someone I never thought I would know. It was as if the worlds shifted the moment he came back into my life, all because he claims that I changed his life in way I didn't want to. I still don't believe him, but when his entire pack as his witness –it's hard to deny the fact that I just may be his imprint.

It didn't make sense either. Especially when the purpose of it totally voids the reason why it all seems plausible. I couldn't give Paul what an imprints purpose could be. A child was far from my capabilities; everyone knew that, if this was some sick joke, then they needed to drop it before someone gets hurt.

But the thing was, Paul's personality has changed so much that I found it hard to believe that this was the same man who threatened my life more than once, only to promise to protect me in every way he could. Catering to me when I was recovering? Tending to my wounds when I didn't ask him? Concerned for my well being when he was close to taking my life before? Now all tossed aside because he believes that I'm the center of his world.

I could hope for the difference. But when it came to Tyler, things would go downhill in a second. Jealousy. Something I thought I would never see in either of them. Whenever Tyler would even come close to me, Paul's stance would change drastically from calm to a monster ready to rip his prey to shreds, and Tyler was always the target because he believes he deserved another chance with me.

I couldn't stand it whenever they became animals.

I had to threaten them both to stay away from me if it all continued. Even so, I wasn't sure why I even gave the proposition when a part of me didn't want either of them near me. But then there's the other part of me that missed having them around. Why? I still wasn't sure.

Bonnie said it was the imprint playing its course. That had me questioning why I still missed Tyler. Seth says that has to do entirely with what I felt about him in the past. It may have been real, but so was the constant abuse of it all. Tyler was the same, but Paul was someone I hadn't known.

It scared me.

I wanted to handle this all cautiously. I didn't want to address any of this without thinking about it entirely. But I just couldn't sit myself down to do either when I wanted to distract myself rather than face the reality of it.

"Any luck on finding anything?" That was Caroline. She hasn't really left Bonnie or my side since Elena was finally laid to rest.

"Nothing." I said frustrated, finally closing the book before grabbing another coffee. "The more I look into them, it just seems it leads back to the spirit realms, and that's not exactly where Elena is."

"Where is she then?" She asked.

"We believe it to be on entire different plain, one that Kai created where Elena practically lives by herself." Bonnie added as she walked into the kitchen, "I figured it may be the same one Damon and I were trapped in with him, but even so, that was far from what we could reach."

"Isn't there anything written on the different worlds?" Seth asked as he followed Bonnie.

"There wouldn't be if it was created with Kai's idea's in mind." I muttered. "He clearly knew what he was doing when he implemented the spell."

"Sad to say, but Brandon's right." Bonnie sat next to me. "If there were another realm that Kai has created, it would be up to Elena to find the portal key or keys to escape it. The problem is, we can't communicate with her long enough anymore to even search for clues."

"I just don't get how he bound her existence to Bonnie's, it doesn't make sense when she's a vampire and Bonnie is a witch." I thought out loud. "Vampire's are immortal, why connect her to Bonnie when Bonnie can only live so long? Why not connect her to another vampire to make it permanent?" The comment earned me a few stares, "I'm not saying I would wish it upon her, but Kai had something up his sleeve if he wanted us to end Bonnie's life just save Elena's."

"Because if I die, the magic that continues through me dies with me." Bonnie replied, "no offense B, but he seen me as his biggest threat at the time."

"But he didn't know about Brandon until he returned." Tyler entered the room. "You have to give him credit for being able to go against Kai for as long as he did."

"Of course we know that Brandon is powerful," Bonnie replied, "which is why we were sure that he was still trying to make a connection for him to join us in some way."

"He couldn't when I'm regaining what I didn't have." I replied, thinking out loud, "sure I'm slowly getting back what I lost, but to my full potential, he couldn't do a thing when I don't even know what exactly I'm capable of. I did in fact break an imprint and somehow transferred it…" I paused in thought. Earning stares from everyone including the Sam and Paul who had walked in.

"What is it?" Caroline asked.

"The transfer!" Bonnie pin-pointed. "He used the same methods."

"But only he knows where Elena is." I stated, "grandma was the one who led me to Rachel before they both disappeared into the light."

"I know," Bonnie said, "but he used the same connection an imprint has been used, only with the opposite effect. If we can reverse the effects of it, than we can just maybe shift the spell to where Elena lives as long as I do."

"But how?" I asked. "Shifting it could risk the factors of you both dying and the spell being permanent. I won't do it."

"Not if you break the bind." Sam added. "I don't mean to meddle, but if Brandon was able to reach Rachel in some way, then there has to be a way to bring Bonnie there to break the ties."

"But how?" Bonnie asked.

"You both need to come with us." Paul finally added, earning a growl from Tyler.

"No," I interrupted, "Sam just may be right. When I went to La Push, I was able to tap into the spirit worlds with ease because the lands are sacred enough. I can't explain it really, but it seemed that there were more open doors there because the lands are still pure with magic, almost untouched."

"But wouldn't that taint the sacredness of the lands then?" Seth asked, "I'm just saying, if we disturb what lies back home, what risks are we facing."

"We won't," I assured Seth, "I promise. We just need help from the other side to help a friend, then we leave as soon as we can."

"So you're going back to La Push?" Tyler asked upset.

"I have to." I replied bluntly. "I'll be safe."

"Only if I can go to." Tyler demanded.

"You have no say in this." I replied, "you can't simply tag along, especially when there is a pack already there."

I couldn't blame him for storming off, but it was the truth. Paul seemed satisfied with my decision, but that didn't mean that I was agreeing to give him a chance in any way.

It was decided that we'd leave in the morning and return to La Push, and in order for this to work, Sam made communications with Jacob to make a proposal to the vampire's back in Forks to keep Elena safe until we could figure things out, which meant that Caroline, Stefan and Damon would be tagging along. Tyler hadn't been seen since.

Aunt Tiffany seemed happy that I was returning to stay for a while with Bonnie tagging along with me. Since the last visit, Bonnie and her had seemed to form a friendship that I hadn't really known about until now.

My mind kept going back and forth to how it ended up the way it had –so far at least. The complications mostly and how I was going to fix everything. Its just, I seemed to always be trying to fix things. No one seems to step up to the plate. But I guess when you're family is a coven of witches and you have that power to make some sort of change, you always seem to be there. I tried avoiding it in the beginning. But somehow I always ended up entangled in the webs.

The entire trip I basically ignored everyone. Since there has been a lot on my mind lately, I just can't seem to get anything straight. Sure we might have a plan to get Elena back, but that doesn't mean it will work. But like I said, it was enough to distract me from the real pandemonium just waiting to happen. That would be another thing I'd need to address before it got worse.

Tyler was never one to settle, and Paul didn't seem to be either. Yet, in a way, I had both of them in the palms of my hands, and I didn't like it one bit. I could see how Paul's persona changed so quickly, but for the life of me, I couldn't understand where Tyler was coming from anymore. It was like I was being pranked in some way. It was hard to trust in bother of them when I knew the motives of one; sort of, and clueless to the other. Two different paths where I couldn't see the finish lines.

I think this was a way for Sam to get me here too. If I were to associate with Paul more, maybe it would make me open my eyes in some way? I don't know. It scared me though. I've seen what Paul was capable of, and what I was capable of being around him. We could seriously harm each other and not know of it until after the deed is done. I don't want to end up killing him because he suddenly lost it.

It goes the same for Tyler. His anger always got the best of him, and there was no say whether he'd be patient with me. What would I do just to survive? I wasn't exactly as weak as I used to be, and as my powers continued to build up, who's to say what I am capable of? I didn't want to be even next to Tyler if that meant he was still the same asshole I remembered him as. He was never one to be entirely faithful when it came to relationships, and he was never one to care much about the other if he had broken someone's heart; especially mine.

So many times he had broken me and I let him do it. I used to convince myself that this is what I deserved; it was going to be the best I could probably get in a relationship. I'd remain his secret until he was brave enough to tell the world that it was me that he always came running back to. Where did this all change?

"Are you okay B?" I turned to see a concerned look on Bonnie's face.

"I'm fine." I muttered, turning back to the window to watch the rain trickle down the glass. "Just thinking."

"The spell should work," she replied, "we just need to remain focused."

"It's not that Bon." I replied turning to her again, leaning back on my seat, "It's Tyler and Paul. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Oh, I forgot about that." She said staring straight ahead. "Are you afraid?"

I nodded.

"What part of it scares you?" She asked concerned.

"Everything." I admitted. "I've never been used of being the center of attention, always falling for the bad boy, and now that they're both looking at me in entirely different ways, I don't know what to believe."

"I can't say much for Paul, but I'm sure you've seen every aspect of Tyler," She sighed, "maybe you need to talk to Paul and get to know him, maybe it's more than what you expected and Tyler will just have to accept that."

"What are you Team Paul now?" I chuckled.

"No, I'm Team Brandon, and if either of them hurt you, I will let them feel my wrath whether you say I can or not." She giggled, "I'm not standing on the sidelines anymore while I have to watch them hurt my little brother."

I smiled. The thing with Bonnie and me, we didn't need a label for our friendship, but if we had to give it one, siblings would be close to it. I love Bonnie like my sister, which is why I'd do anything to help her, and she'd do the same. We didn't need blood to show just how connected we were.

"When you get the chance," she added, "talk to Paul, and see whom he really is. See who the man is behind the wolf. If it was just meant to be a friendship or something more, that would be something he'd have to accept too."

"Yeah, you're probably right." I shrugged.

"Aren't I always?" She teased.

"Don't push it," I teased back.

By the time we reached the Call's house, aunt Tiffany already had a welcoming dinner prepared before Embry had to tend to his pack duties. Sam mentioned that he would check on the others as they arrived at the Cullen's, and he'd help them settle the best he could as long as Jacob was there.

I never really met Jacob other than him making an appearance with the pack when he was needed. But that was the thing; I wasn't sure how his story really played out. When they mentioned that he had imprinted on the half-vampire girl that was somehow born into the coven, I was questionable on it. It seemed just as strange as Paul imprinting on me. If they were to have children though, who's to say what kind of species they would breed next, and a big part of me wasn't willing to find out exactly what that was.

I wanted to ask Sam about it, but I just didn't think it was my place to do so. But whatever was to become of them, I was sure wouldn't be good. For some reason, the demon-hounds came to mind. Vicious dog-like creatures that thirsted for blood and were hardly tamable, even known to kill there own kind just to survive. Maybe there was another prophecy we didn't know about. I kept looking at Bonnie thinking that maybe there was a reason I needed to bring her here.

"How was the dinner?" Aunt Tiffany asked unsure.

"It was great auntie," I smiled, "I've just had a lot on my mind."

"So I've heard," she hugged me, "just know that I'm here to talk if you ever need it."

"Thanks auntie." I kissed her cheek and went straight to my room.

I wasn't tired, but I was exhausted. By then my mind was ready to shut down and my body collapsed against the bed. I didn't remember much other than the strange dream that followed.

_The spirit realm._

_Still gloomy and silent. No souls to be found. No sounds or voices to be heard. A dead space where nothing or no one existed, a place filled with nothings and disappointments. Trees stayed still as the wind blew the fog around the dark area. I knew then that somehow I was being led to the answers to my questions. I just need to be ready. _

_Then there was a meadow. I was in center as I scanned my surroundings, finding nothing but the dead silence whispering eerie nothings in my ear. _

_As I expected; silhouettes. _

_Five of them?_

_All surrounding me in a distance, small shadows moving around me until they finally stopped in their tracks, waiting. The first to approach was in front of me. I couldn't make out exactly who or what it was as it moved slowly towards me. Gliding forward in a slow pace until the form of a human appeared. I stood with a faltered breath as I waited with a bated breath. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew this would be the first key to what I needed to figure out on my own. _

_I could see the fog come from my heavy breaths. My palms were sweaty, my face heated with sweat trickling down the side of my face. I was in panic mode as I began to realize just who was walking towards me. _

_I could've sworn I seen a ghost. I wanted to fall to my knees and cry because it couldn't have meant what I was sure it did. It couldn't be the person standing in front of me, in the spirit world._

_But there she stood._

_Bonnie._

I bolted forward drenched in sweat, panicking as I tossed my blankets to the side and raced out my door to the room across from mine. I quickly turned on the light as I called out to my best friend, realizing she was in the same state as I was in.

"BONNIE!" I cried out, shaking her small frame as she slowly began to open her eyes, "BONNIE! WAKE UP!" I called out again.

At the moment she opened her eyes, she pulled me into her grasp and began to hug me as tight as ever could, crying out to me that she was so happy that I was okay, how happy she was that it was all just a nightmare. I did my best to calm her, wandering exactly what she was seeing, or what she saw.

As I wiped her tears, aunt Tiffany must've heard the commotion and came to our aid, hugging us both and asking if we were okay. She offered to get us water as she realized just how drained we felt. I looked into her eyes just as she had, and I knew then what she saw, and I was sure she saw what I saw. In her place, I was there. We saw each other in the spirit world, and the first thing that came to mind was that we were both taken without knowing.

"I really thought I lost you this time." I mumbled as I hugged her again.

"I know how you felt, it felt so real, and I don't get it." She wiped a tear as she pulled back, taking the glass of water from aunt Tiffany.

"But it felt like a ritual." I admitted, taking a drink as well, "I could see you across from me, and you walked closer while the other's remained in their spots surrounding us."

"There were six of us?" She asked me unsure, I nodded. "I couldn't see the other's though."

"Neither could I," I shrugged. "But something tells me that we're missing quite a bit of the puzzle. One of them have to be Elena at least, I'm sure."

"I figured so, but there are three more unaccounted for." She added. "Something tells me that we need to find the answers before its too late."

"You felt it too?" I asked.

She looked at me a bit shaken before responding. "The deadline. Yeah, it was like if we were being cut short for it too."

"That means that we have to find out more about this dream." I stated.

"But only if we let it reveal itself." She added, "something tells me that coming here has more reasons than we had imagined, which means that one of them could be the imprint."

I looked at her confused. "Do you mean Paul's imprint on me."

She nodded while aunt Tiffany continued to listen. "Paul imprinting on you could be the key of finding out just how strong the bond is, and how much he could most likely help us figure this out."

"I don't mean to sound doubtful," I shrugged, "but I don't think the imprint has anything to do with it, but a hint of what might happen if we go through with this."

"What do you mean?" Aunt Tiffany asked.

"We just might have to break another imprint for this to work." I suggested.

"But why? And how would that work?" She asked.

"Think about in Bon," I explained, "when I broke the imprint for Paul, it was moved towards me, Paul is now tied to me in every way as Sam explained it. Maybe we'll need you to break another imprint for you to be tied to a wolf rather than to Elena, shifting it to another being where Elena might be able to come back to life."

"But who?" She looked at me a confused.

"That I don't know exactly." I shrugged again, "but there has to be some way that we could maybe tie you with a wolf, or maybe one of them will imprint on you."

"But haven't they all imprinted?" Bonnie asked.

"No," aunt Tiffany replied, "as far as I know, my Embry and the Clearwater children still haven't imprinted."

"So either of them could?" I questioned.

"If she hasn't met one of them yet." Aunt Tiffany explained, "it's kind of like love at first sight. We believed the reason Paul imprinted on you Brandon was because you were the first that was meant to meet his sights before Rachel should have. If he saw you first, you most likely would have been Paul's imprint before Rachel could have been."

"But I've met all three of them." Bonnie added. "Either they had and haven't told me, or we're out of luck on that route."

"Is everything okay?" We all turned to see Embry leaning against the door.

"Oh Embry, Honey!" Aunt Tiffany giggled, "you scared us."

"We're fine Embry." Bonnie blushed a little, "we were just discussing theories."

"Imprints?" He asked, we all shrugged, "I hate to disappoint, but there hasn't been a new imprint since Paul, so it's a no-go for Bonnie as far as we know."

"Yeah…" I muttered, "thanks for letting us know Embry."

I followed aunt Tiffany and Bonnie out the room when Embry pulled me aside for a moment. I was caught a bit off guard when he looked a bit concerned.

"Is everything okay Embry?"

"Yeah!" He said nervously, "I normally wouldn't do this, but when I see my brother hurting over this, I need to ask you a favor."

"Brother? What?" I asked confused.

"Paul's outside." He said, "he want's to talk."

I stayed silent for a moment before looking back up to him.

"Please," Embry begged, "just give him a chance."

Even thought I wasn't looking forward to any confrontations any time soon, I knew that they would eventually come. I figured I'd get this over with and see what Paul wanted, and maybe I could get some answers to questions I had.

I quickly grabbed my coat and slipped on my shoes and informed the others that I'd be outside for a bit. As I turned on the porch light and closed the door behind me, it didn't take long for Paul to emerge from the tree line in nothing but jean shorts. To say I was a bit overwhelmed was just the gist of it. I couldn't help but stare at him before he was barely a foot away from me.

I stood frozen. There he was, in front of me, standing over six feet, staring down at me like he wanted to cry. I wasn't sure what had urged me to do so, but I reached my hand up and wiped his dry cheek. He quickly covered his massive hand over mine and leaned into my touch, rubbing my hand over his cheek, tracing the cheekbone and the corner of his lips before he let my hand fall back to my side.

"I'm sorry," he turned shamefully, "I didn't mean to."

What could I say? What could I do other than stare into his enchanting eyes? I was lost just as he was. I figured the next best thing to do was to sit on the step below me, hoping he'd join me, which he had. Compared to him, I was almost half his size. Just sitting next to him, I could feel the heat come off of him.

"I don't know what to say." I admitted.

"You don't have to say a thing." He turned to me, "I just needed to see you. I don't mean to sound selfish, but just being near you helps me get through the day."

"I'm sorry." I apologized.

"For what?" He shrugged with a chuckle, "for being you? If so, don't be, it's the best part of my day."

"I'm not sure how I feel though Paul." I rocked back and forth slightly for a distraction. "I don't know what to think."

"Then don't." He started, "I know it's not easy, but I just want you to know that even moments like this help more than you can imagine."

"But will it ever be good enough for you?"

"That I don't know." He stared back down. "But I came here in hope that you just might listen to what I have to say, what I want to say."

"What is it you have to say then?" I asked.

"That I'm in love with you." _That was quick._ I thought. "I know it sounds a bit much, but I've never felt this way about anyone, and I want you to know that these feeling began to develop even before the imprint."

"I kind of find that hard to believe Paul." I admitted.

"I know, I know, I really had a shitty way of showing it." He was beginning to cry a little again, "but believe me, if I knew how to express it properly in the first place, then I would have. But it's just like you came into my life, and I was afraid that what I had with Rachel didn't matter because I was selfishly falling for you without even knowing you. I didn't even have to be introduced to you in the first place to know that you meant something to me. I can't explain it Brandon, but when you came around, for once I actually had hope again. "

"The why the violence?"

"Violence is the only thing I really knew, and to see what I did to you, I hate myself every day for it. I could never forgive myself for it." He really was showing his vulnerable side to me, "I would never lay another hand on you the way I had, and I would never let another treat you like you don't mean a thing."

"You're talking about Tyler, aren't you?" I wondered.

"Of course I'm talking about him." He said frustrated, "after the shit he put you through, and for me to do the same damn thing, I just can't understand what you see in us. Don't get me wrong, I want to the chance to get show you that I'm not just the inconsiderate prick that you know, that I'm so much more than that, I can treat you right Brandon, and I tend to."

"What type of future do you see for us?" I had to know his expectations.

"If I have to start off being your friend, I will." He paused longer than I expected, deep in thought before he continued, "I'm hoping you don't ask me just to be your friend though. I have to tell you the truth Brandon, I don't know if I could handle just being your friend, especially of that meant I'd have to watch you love another. But if I have to, I will try my best. But If you give me that chance to show you how it feels to have someone telling you that they love you everyday, that they would do anything to make you happy, that they would do anything to protect you and cherish you until the day you die, I want to be that person."

I was a bit lost for words. Here Paul was, pouring his heart out to me, and I was clueless how to respond. I was never told anything to these measures, and it all seemed a bit unreal to believe, as much as I wanted it to.

"What do you see when you see me?" I asked.

"A damaged soul, waiting to be healed." He admitted, "but mostly a human being that can become one of the most powerful witches I had ever come across. You care for the one's you love; deeply. You have a big heart that is strong enough to fight anything that comes it's way, but one that's afraid to love. I see a man with flaws and rather than succumbing to them, he overpowers the things he's lost and turns them into something he can overtake. Some may say different, but what I see is someone perfect."

"I'm hardly close to perfect." I admitted.

"You can't see it, but in time you will." He replied with assurance, "don't ever let anyone tell you different."

Just as he stood and what looked like he was ready to leave.

"Wait!" I stood up next to him. "So what does this mean?"

He stayed silent as he reached down to my hand, lifting it to his lips as he place a soft kiss on the back of my hand. I slowly looked up to meet his gaze as he cocked a smile, knowing I was lost in his touch already.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to take you out for dinner or something."

"I don't think I will have the time..." I paused, "well… with everything going on that is."

"Fine," He grinned even bigger, "I'll bring dinner to you. I'll see you at five tonight."

Before I could answer, he trotted off into the forest and phased into his wolf. I watched in awe as he majestically maneuvered through the trees until stopping on the peak behind the house that overlooked the ocean, letting out what seemed to be a howl of victory, followed by a few other howls before disappearing into forest.

I stood frozen with a dumb smile attached to my face.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading and continue to read. Thanks to the recent reviewers for constant encouragement, I couldn't have updated this without your help.**

**Shoutouts go to ****GoodbyeGreySkies****, ****, ****IAmFanFicForever****, ****agd888****, ****JayJayMalik****, ****Nano1354****, and ****rAbiDmutt03****.**** I hope the longer chapter made up for your patience. I just about stopped the chapter when Embry told Brandon that Paul was outside.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Since you all came through with the reviews sooner than I expected, I felt you deserved another chapter, and even longer since I got a bit carried away. Just a note before you read on, the restaurant doesn't exist as far as I know, basically something I came up with last minute. So, enjoy.**

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

* * *

_It's that nightmare again._

_It's Bonnie again. She reaches he hand out and grabs mine. She grabs both hands and asks me if I'm ready. I didn't know I was, but I nod and began to join her in unison as we chant to the skies._

_Slowly the clouds gather in circles just as I'm sure are the same silhouettes appear in distance, each to their unique movements, though similar in few or more ways. I could seen one sway back and forth, and another stand tall and proud, and another as still as the night. But the last beginning to approach us with every chant we call out._

_I close my eyes to pull in more power, connecting palms with Bonnie as we call out to the spirits for any help that we need. Then a dead silence; the atmosphere turns into an eerie quietness. I open my eyes to see Bonnie staring at me, both of us confused and a bit frightened. Until we could feel the presence of someone or something; Elena Gilbert._

"_Bonnie?" She calls out. "Brandon? Where am I?"_

_We both stare for a moment, "we're not sure yet Elena," Bonnie muttered, "that's why we're here. To figure things out. Do you know how you got here?"_

"_No." She says confused, staring at the surrounding silhouettes around us, "who are they?"_

"_We don't know that either," I replied, "it seems that you only appear in order, right now, it seems that you're the first key to this all, which makes sense."_

"_All I could really remember is being home, the same home I grew up in," Elena explains, "then, as if I was being pulled into another dimension once again, being brought here, confused and scared until I seen you two."_

_She attempted to reach over to Bonnie for a hug, only to be shoved back by what seemed to be an invisible wall blocking any contact. "What's going on?" She cried out._

"_There are a lot of things that we are unsure of." Bonnie replied, "which is why we're here to figure things out."_

_Just then, the sky began to thunder. I looked at Bonnie, then at Elena worried. "I don't think we have much time right now to figure this out." I admitted, "it seems that time is being controlled, and everything will be revealed in a perfect point. Which means that you may be pulled back to the same realm you came." I tried to explain everything began turning into chaos. "We'll be back, and we'll try harder to get through this as quick as we can."_

"_Just be patient with us Elena." Bonnie called out, "we'll get you out of here. I promise."_

Like clockwork, my eyes opened and I was back on my bed. Sweating again and a bit unsettled from what I witnessed. It seemed that each shadow would reveal someone new each time we entered the dreams, the thing was, and we couldn't force them. This is the third time I fell asleep before we revisited the vision. By this time, I was sure that the evening was settling in. I've been sleeping quite a bit since we got here, and now I knew why it was needed.

"Brandon?" Bonnie knocked on the door before entering in her sleepy state, "are you okay?"

"Yeah." I rubbed my eyes. "How are you?"

"I'm good." She sat next to me, "it was good to see Elena though," she admitted, "which makes me want to try harder to get her out of there."

"Yeah," I hugged her, "I know you and Caroline both miss her."

She sobbed in silence, "I just wish that we weren't caught up in this mess Brandon, it's not fair that we constantly have to deal with death when we barely had time to live."

"I know." I admitted. "But to be given this chance to bring you friend back, I'd take it any day to make sure that you all have that chance to enjoy life. We all do. Shit happens, and that's just something I've learned to accept, especially having to constantly deal with the supernatural world. We'll get her back, I'm sure of it."

"I know." She wiped her tear and attempted to smile, "I'm just so glad that I have you here to help me, I'd go crazy having to go in this alone."

"We try our best." I reminded her.

"Brandon?" We turned to see aunt Tiffany at the door, "Paul is here to pick you up?"

"Oh!" I replied shock, realizing I forgot about everything, and the fact that I wasn't quiet ready.

"I'll stall him while you get ready." Bonnie smiled, "just make sure you don't keep him waiting."

I just smiled; shyly before they both exited and left me to my own. I quickly raced to the bathroom and washed my face and brushed my teeth and combed my hair before racing back to my room and changing into something comfortable. I figured since it was cold out, I chose my faded jeans, with my v-neck pullover sweater over my dress-shirt and a pair of casual boots. I wanted to look a bit decent seeing this was probably the first date I've been on in awhile.

With the final fixing of gelling my hair up, I made my way down the hallway to see that everyone was waiting anxiously, just as I was nervously entering the living area, only to see Paul dressed in long button-up coat with dress pants and shoes to go with it. I had to say I was a bit caught off guard to see him in something other than a pair of shorts and nothing else.

"You look…" He stood still in front of me, actually making me blush for a moment, "great."

"Looking dapper yourself Mr. Lahote." I smiled before following him as he grabbed onto my hand surprisingly, earning a few 'awes' from the ladies. "I was beginning to believe you're wardrobe consisted of nothing but jean shorts."

He smiled before opening the passenger door to the black truck he was driving. Rather than arguing that I didn't need any catering too, I just went with it and hopped in before he closed the door and joined me in the driver's seat. I waved at the others as he revved the truck up and pulled out onto the street.

"So," I tried to kill the discomfort, "where are we going?"

"I was thinking the 'Grizzly's Cavern,' in Port Angeles, it's a nice little steakhouse that could be killer to get reservations at." He smiled, "luckily, I know the owner enough to get a great spot."

"Sounds great." I smiled nervously. Soon realizing that Port Angeles had to be at least an hour away, which meant that we'd have to converse the entire trip there and back. "Do you go there often?"

"Not as much as I used to." He admitted, shrugging his shoulders, already taking his coat off and setting aside. Even though he wore a casual t-shirt under it, he still looked amazing. "I used to go there with my dad to watch the play-offs with my dad before he passed."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I apologized.

"Don't be," He replied, "it wasn't always great. A majority of the time we didn't get along, but those were probably the best I could remember."

"You didn't get along with him?" I didn't mean to ask; it rather just slipped.

He shrugged, "it was a typical life with him. His drinking and the shit he put my mom and me through. He would often beat my mom until I started taking the beatings for the both of us, it was just easier." I could see that it upset him to talk about it, and I almost regretted asking him, "that was until I became a shifter and began to really develop the temper I have. He began to back down and try to be a coward and beat my mom while I was on patrol, that didn't last long when I got a hold of him and made him leave."

"It must've been difficult."

"We survived," he shrugged, "unfortunately, not long after, his drinking got the best of him and barely a month later mom received a call telling us that he had been killed instantly in a car accident. He was drunk and went straight over the cliff and went headfirst into the rocks below it."

I think he heard me gasp in shock, which is probably why he reached over and grabbed my hand for comfort. I wasn't sure though if it was for me, or him, so I just let him grasp onto it.

"For whatever's worth Paul, and I know it doesn't say much," I turned to him slightly, "I am sorry that you had to go through what you went through."

"It says a lot," he smiled.

"I know for a fact that no one should have to experience losing a parent, no matter what the circumstances are." I stared straight ahead, "I lost both of mine before I could really remember who they were."

"Oh shit!" He grabbed my hand tighter. "I didn't know."

"Well you'd have to ask." I let out a chuckle to ease the moment, "but my grandma raised me until she passed a couple years ago. Thankfully I was old enough to live on my own."

"Damn," He said, "how'd they?"

I could tell he didn't want to ask, but I believe he deserved an explanation, "well my grandma told me for the longest time that my parents died in a car accident, that was until I discovered my powers she told me the truth. They were killed by vampires, which is why I embraced in who I was to avenge them in some way. It was a shitty deal finding out that it was the Salvatore's who were a part of it. Which is why I promised that one day they would feel my wrath. I just want them to believe that I forgot about it. But don't get me wrong, I'm not striving to get even at the moment, but if the time comes, I'm taking that chance, and Bonnie knows it too."

"Those fuckers." I could hear him whisper under his breath.

"My grams," I continued, "total different story. She was getting old and until one day, she practically died in her sleep. She taught me what she could until Bonnie and her grams came to help me. From then on, I just moved forward and ended up in a few shitty situations that led me to La Push."

"So you weren't sent because of me?" He turned to me for a moment before looking back to the road.

"What?" I asked a caught of guard for a moment.

"Sam said you were brought here because of the imprint. They said they needed you to break it." He asked.

"Well, no." I admitted. "When I arrived, news spread fast of my abilities, and they figured that I could give it a try in order for you to survive your lost, I just didn't think the consequences would be the imprint you have on me."

"But why help me if you didn't know me, not that I'm not grateful for the fact, because I am," He stuttered, "but why put yourself at risk not knowing the outcome."

"I should've known by then that there would be circumstances." I admitted, "but a part of me felt that if I could try, then I would, especially after hearing the suffering you were going through."

"But you stayed when I was being a jerk." I could hear the guilt in his voice.

"Yeah I did." I replied, "call me crazy, but when I see a soul worth saving, I'll do anything in my power to help. It's just my morals I guess. My grandmother actually taught me to be stubborn I guess." I shrugged.

He didn't say anything other than gripping the steering wheel and giving me a half-smile. I returned the gesture and stared with curiosity. "What?"

He shrugged. "Nothing really," he let out a chuckle, "I just can't help but see the uniqueness with you. You never seize to amaze me in every way."

"Really?" I asked surprised.

"I wouldn't lie about that." He admitted. "Often I questioned the spirits why they would put me through the same thing again when I thought I had found freedom, but after realizing just how lucky I am to have you in my life at this moment, for once I feel like I'm in the right moment at the right time, with the right person."

"Wow!" I smiled, "no one has ever said anything like that to me. I've always felt like a burden."

"I don't think you could ever be a burden." He chuckled, "like you said, you may be stubborn, but only for great purposes."

"Yeah." I giggled nodding my head.

"We're here." He announced as we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.

The place actually looked perfect. A log building with the name boarded with painted sticks on the top. A patio surrounding it with lights and lanterns hanging above the tables and chairs, all leading to the main entrance of the building where two big swinging doors and a bell that dinged the moment you walked in. As we entered, we were welcomed by the server, a boy in his teens, dressed in a vest and tie that led us to our table for two, reserved by Paul himself.

"Shall I start you off with drinks gentlemen?" The teen asked politely.

"A beer?" Paul asked, the server now looking in my direction.

"Iced tea would be great." I ordered as I sat down.

"It'll just be a moment." The server announced before leaving us to be.

"This is a beautiful place." I stared in awe at the chandeliers that hung, antlers with crystal lights.

The center had a bar that circled the middle of the restaurant where tables surrounded. A private area could be seen on the other end of the building where it looked like a private party was taking place. The kitchen area had been located in the back area with several servers and chefs that seemed busy with every order that had been placed. Even though the place seemed busy, I didn't mind the fact because it really felt like you could be home enjoying dinner.

"They renovated the place the last time I was here." Paul informed, "it looks a lot bigger than I could remember."

"Business must be booming then." I mentioned with a smile.

"With the steaks they have here, I wouldn't doubt it." He added with a laugh, "you gotta try it."

"I'll take note on that." I smiled again.

I've been doing that a lot lately, and surprisingly, more with Paul being around. Not once had I felt threatened, nor did I feel like I had to try and be someone I wasn't. Not that I had before, but he really made it feel okay to just be me.

By the time our waitress came to take our dinner order, Paul promised to order me something that I would enjoy, which meant the special for both of us. The lady kindly thanked us and promised to be at our service whenever we needed.

"Just give me a shout." She gave us a smile. "Can I ask a question, and I don't mean to meddle in any way, I'm just curious."

"What is it?" Paul asked before I could.

"Are you two a couple?" She asked shyly, Paul turned to me waiting for an answer. I turned to her unsure for a moment before nodding. "I kind of thought so," she couldn't seem to stop smiling, "you make a cute couple."

Even though I was still unsure if Paul and I was an item, he seemed content with the idea of it, after all, he couldn't stop smiling like a fool as he took a drink of his beer.

"Am I going to have to drive us home after the date." I teased.

"Just one beer, I promise." He replied with a smirk, "usually a water after this will help."

"I didn't mean to sound a bit demanding." I said with sincerity, "I just wanted you to be safe."

"It's understandable." He continued with a grin, "now tell me, how come Embry never told us he had a cousin?"

"I'm not sure exactly," I shrugged, "I don't blame him one bit either. Our family wasn't exactly as tight as either of us hoped in the first place."

"How so?" He asked.

"Well, aunt Tiffany is my dad's sister," I explained, "and my grams made it clear how she wanted her children raised, which meant that a child out of wedlock was unacceptable, and since aunt Tiffany became pregnant with Embry, she practically disowned her. It devastated my father because they were so close."

"What a shitty deal." He gave his opinion.

"Yeah, I never did agree with my grams on her decision." I agreed. "At the same time my parent's were already married and expecting me. During that time, my father remained a part of aunt Tiffany's life just as he was a part of mine because it was discovered that Embry's father was married and had an affair with my aunt without her knowing. Of course abortion was out of the question. Aunt Tiffany felt she needed to do the right thing and inform the man's wife, only to be called every horrid name in the book. The thing was, aunt Tiffany had no place to go really other than staying in La Push on the budget she had. She refused to take my father's help since he had a family of his own."

"Sounds like a great man." Paul complimented.

"He really was." I smiled to myself remembering just who he was, "we'd visit often, those are the memories I recall, and he would always make sure that Embry was included; almost becoming like his father figure. I had to admit that we were perfect in our own way. But that all ended when my parents passed and I never had the chance to see Embry or aunt Tiffany until just recently."

"Your grams never let you visit them?" He asked.

"No, she still resented them." I replied in a shaky tone, "I'm sorry, I still get a bit emotional talking about it. But I always spited my grams for never giving aunt Tiffany a chance to redeem herself."

"No problem," He actually reached across the table and wiped the tear that fell down my cheek, "I get it. Family means everything to you."

"You can tell?" I giggled, wiping the other cheek.

"I'm not heartless." He teased, pretending to feel offended before continuing. "My mom had always made sure that family was involved in our lives after my dad left. The thing was, he was the reason I never had the chance to know any of my family. He made sure that my mother lost all contact with them when we moved to back to La Push when I was younger."

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged, "my dad was never the type to show sympathy, even for his own family. But when he passed, his younger sister reached out to us and introduced herself along with her daughter, my little cousin Raine. After than, mom found her brother, my uncle Will and his wife. Soon after that, we were reacquainted with my grandma Anna and the rest of my mom's siblings and my cousins."

"Big family?" I asked unsure.

"Yeah." He laughed taking a drink.

By then our food had been delivered and the waitress gave us a refill and Paul a water before leaving again. After realizing just how tasteful the dinner really was, Paul continued his story.

"I could see that my mom was lonely and that she missed them more than she could admit." He explained, "that's when I told her that she should move closer to them and get to know them again. She was hesitant at first because she didn't want to leave me here, but after growing up here, I couldn't imagine leaving, especially after becoming a shifter and finding my imprint."

"Does she know about you being a wolf?" I asked.

"No," He said, "I didn't tell her because I didn't want to be the reason she felt she needed to stay. She deserves to restart on her life, and I'm hoping she does. Besides, she knows where I am and I told her she's free to come visit, as long as she tells me." He smiled, taking another bite.

By then, we had finished our meal and we continued to swap stories about our lives. It made me realize that we both had come from broken homes, and we only hoped that eventually break the cycle.

"PAUL?"

We were both startled by a woman yelling across the restaurant. I looked at Paul to see that he looked nervous to see this woman. She wasn't exactly a woman that seemed lady-like; I could tell that she was intoxicated somewhat, and angry with the expression on her face. She shouted Paul's name again before staggering across the floor, attempting to walk straight as she laughed foolishly, mumbling words like 'hey baby' and 'hey sexy' as she approached our table in a sloppy manner. I already felt uncomfortable the moment she looked at me and glared.

"Where's Rachel?" She sneered, looking at Paul with what seemed disgust.

Paul's expression changed quickly to annoyed and upset the moment the woman breathed on her, "that's none of your business Britney."

"Oh why so glum?" She giggled sarcastically.

"Is there a problem?" The waitress approached us, placing her hand on my shoulder seeing how uncomfortable I was.

"Mind your business." The lady slurred her words, splashing the poor waitress with her beer.

"Britney, I think you should leave." Paul suggested.

"NO!" She turned to Paul again, "I want answers." By then she had an audience, as the entire restaurant to seemed to be watching. "Does your wife know you're here? I thought she was your everything?"

"Mam, I think you need to leave before I call the cops." The waitress informed her.

"Call the cops bitch!" The woman practically snarled at her. Which upset me.

I stood up and held onto the waitress. "Hey! That isn't necessary."

"And who the fuck are you?" She glared at me, "why are you here with him."

"I'm going to ask you one last time to leave Britney." Paul stood.

By then, the waitress was ready to fight the drunk and I was in between them telling her that the disgrace wasn't worth it. "You don't fucking know me!" She shouted at the waitress and me. "Besides, Paul still hasn't answered me."

"Britney!" Paul said in a warning tone.

"Where is your bitch Rachel? Huh?" She was screaming at Paul by then, and I was fuming by this time, upset that she could call out the woman that couldn't even be here to defend herself. "You know the bitch you left me for? Where is she now? Huh?"

"How could you call a woman a bitch when she isn't alive to defend herself?" I asked upset.

She paused, looking a bit dunce as she stared at Paul with a smirk, not realizing that Paul was close to snapping, "Oh I get it pretty boy!" She smirked as the manager seem to be approaching. "You're a fag now! Couldn't handle what a woman could give you so you turned into a fairy."

"Mam, you have thirty seconds to leave the premises before you are escorted out." The man in a tie warned her, I knew he was the manager, as he seemed upset of all the commotion.

"No need." Paul growled before grabbing the woman and lifting her over his shoulder and bulldozing through the crowd. By then I was panicking and a bit worried what he might do to the bitch.

"PAUL!" I shouted racing through the crowd as the caused a commotion and began to follow him.

The woman screamed and shouted for Paul to put her down or she was calling the cops, by then, we could hear the sirens approaching and everyone shouting around us. Knowing I had only one mission, I pushed through everyone as I finally reached Paul who was already outside, ready to toss the rude woman into the parking lot.

"PAUL!" I stood in front of him, anger embedded in his expression, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his pupils dilated and his breaths falling heavily. "PAUL! PLEASE! LISTEN TO ME!" he stared into my eyes for that one moment, halting, "You need to put her down before you do something you will regret." I placed my hands on his chest as the woman continued to scream, "Please! Listen to me! She is not worth any of your time or energy and she is definitely not worth going to jail for."

At that moment, he put the woman down and backed away. Thankfully security was quick to pull her away before the woman could attempt to swing at Paul. Doing what I could, I grabbed onto Paul's bicep and pulled him away to calm him in anyways possible.

With the police coming to arrest the woman, I stayed with Paul and reminded him that he did the right thing by letting her go, only for him to continued to apologize to me, hugging my waste, crying and promising me that he would never do that to me again. I could understand what he meant, and I was proud of him for not losing it entirely.

"Paul?" A police officer approached us, "which one of you is Paul Lahote?"

"I am." Paul stood up wiping his tears, still keeping his hand around my waist.

"Can we have a few words with you?" The officer asked, "we just need a statement from the both of you."

We both nodded and followed the officer. The lady was still shouting from the back of the police car as we passed her. Paul spoke to them first while another woman officer took my statement. She asked me if I knew the woman, I told her no and how she approached us and exactly what happened. I was guessing all statements were all in Paul's favor because they let us go and gave Paul the option for a restraining order on the woman. He refused and said she wouldn't be a bother to us anymore.

By then, the manager approached us and apologized for not responding sooner. We explained how the waitress was quick to respond and how she handled the situation and how she was ready to defend us in any way. Though he wasn't please of the way she reacted, he still was grateful for her and promised us that she would at least give her a raise as long as she promised to take a few anger management classes. With that, he apologized again a promised us a free meal on our next date.

"Is everything okay?" The waitress asked as she approached.

"Thanks to you." I thanked her.

"Me," She giggled, "I probably could've handled it better, but that bitch was going to see just whom she was calling a bitch."

"Yeah, sorry about the anger management thing," I smiled just as Paul held onto my waist again.

"No problem sweetie." She put her hands up defeated, "I could use it anyways, besides, I'm getting a raise for it."

"Thanks for stepping in when you didn't have to…" Paul reached his hand out.

"Allison." She shook his hand, "and hey, I meant what I said, you make a cute couple, that trailer trash was just jealous because she knew it too."

"Thank you Allison." I reached my hand out, "but we should be going now."

"You are most welcome." Rather than shaking my hand, she reached in to hug the both of us, "just promise that this wont stop coming back. I feel like we could be friends."

"We will." I smiled before following Paul back to the truck.

He ushered me into the passenger side before racing around to the driver's side. Thinking back on it, I kept thinking how crazy things turned out. Whoever this Britney chick was, she didn't seem to like Paul.

I came to a startle when Paul pounded his fist on the dashboard, leaving a small crack. I turned to him confused and a worried just as I realized how upset he was. If this really bothered him, than I needed him to talk about in some way.

"I owe you an apology." He stared at the steering wheel.

"Why?" I asked.

"For everything." He said angrily. "For losing myself. For letting that bitch get to me. For letting her even call you what she did. For wanting to pulverize her for everything she did. I lost it and I'm sorry."

I was caught by a surprise just as he began to ball his eyes out and squeeze the steering wheel. This definitely was a side I never seen of Paul, or any man for that matter. So I did what I thought best and moved closer to him and wrapped my arms around him, shushing him as he leaned into me and grasped onto my pants as he laid his head on my lap for comfort. "You did what you had to do Paul." I admitted, "though I was scared, I was more frightened for you."

"I never wanted you to see that side of me again, and I failed." He pulled my hands to his lips and kissed the back of it. "I broke that promise."

"You fail to see the good you had done Paul." He didn't say a thing, "you did something for me that no one has ever did; you fended for me. Which is why I did what I had to do. I could've let you do what you had planned, but if I had, then I wouldn't get the chance to get to know you like I wanted to."

"Really?" He turned his face to look up at me.

"There's something about you Paul that I find intriguing. I admit, it was like this the moment I met you, but now I believe it has reasoning. You're everything I'm not, and even more so, someone I wish I could be. Brave in more than one way."

"Then you deserve an explanation." He wiped his eyes and sat up. "You need to know about my past and how Britney fits into it."

"You don't have to tonight."

"Yes." He replied assertively. "I do."

"Okay." I nodded, "but are you going to be okay to drive?"

"I'll be fine." He started the engine, "just please keep an open mind."

"Okay."

As he revved the engine, he pulled out the parking lot and drove towards the direction of home.

"Britney was my high school girlfriend, I can't say sweet heart because she was far from it." He began reminiscing. "We began dating in my senior year because she kept asking me out until I gave in. It wasn't that she wasn't attractive to me, it's just she was my first real relationship. When we began dating, things were good. I took her out and what she felt, I hadn't. But being a teen boy with hormones that began to skyrocket, I gave in and we took the next step. When we had the pregnancy scare, she became worse than I expected. She was manipulative, always angry, controlling and jealous most of the time."

"Sounds like she was afraid to lose you." I admitted.

"She was, and I was getting tired of it." He seemed hesitant to continue, but he did, "then the constant arguing ignited, and I phased for the first time. By then, the teen I used to be began to look more like the man I was. Girls started coming my way left and right, but I remained faithful… for a moment. I used her constant bickering as an excuse to go cheat on her, and I did more than once." By then he wouldn't look at me, "the more I cheated, I tried breaking up with her, but she refused and became almost obsessed."

"She still seems obsessed with you." I admitted.

"Yeah." He chuckled to ease the tension, "then on Christmas break she was going to spend time with her family in Seattle and after she was supposed to come back, she wanted to talk about us. Little did I know that Rachel Black was coming home from college, and I was blindly walking into the life I never wanted. I broke it off with Britney, informing her that I had found someone else."

"I see." I continued to listen, trying not to interrupt.

"She left and moved with her family in Seattle when she realized that I wanted nothing to do with her and everything to do with Rachel." He continued. "Everything was supposed to be perfect with her, but I realized that maybe this was karma getting back at me for breaking Britney's heart. The woman I used, the shit I done just to get laid, it was all coming back to me the moment Rachel said she wanted nothing to do with me. I hated that I tried everything, but she still refused me. I always thought she would fall into my arms just like Emily had with Sam, but I was always left alone. That's when I really began to hate my life."

I was guessing that he was done by then seeing how he kept looking in my direction, waiting for some response. The thing was, I didn't know how to respond when it reminded me so much of Tyler. But the shitty thing about it, I felt like I was Tyler's Britney, and now that Tyler was so willing to step back into my life, maybe it was time for me to move on.

"I don't know what to say Paul." I admitted, "you explained yourself, but a part of me has come to realize I know just how Britney feels. The shitty thing is, I know where she was coming from in a way, but I wouldn't have done what she had."

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Tyler! Paul," I replied, "in a way, I feel like I'm just like Britney with him. For so long I wanted him to love me, to give me a chance. I even gave him ultimatums where he would often leave me hanging. Moving on was and is still is the hardest thing I had ever had to do. Especially when he came looking for me? Like he wanted me back into his life? How I hated being second best to every other person he was with. I was never first."

"I would never put you last." He fended.

"I know." I stared straight ahead, "at least I think I know. It's just, now that I have that chance to be close to first, I don't know how to accept it. It's my flaw Paul. I don't know how to be a boyfriend. I don't know how to be in a relationship without knowing what's really right from wrong."

"You being you helps a lot." He added.

"But I wonder if it's enough." I began to get teary eyed, something I didn't want to do was be vulnerable again, but I couldn't help it, "does it make me an idiot that I already forgive you when I'm not sure if it's even my place to forgive you, especially since it is your past. Am I an idiot to believe that you would never do that to me, or am I just being a hopeless romantic?"

"It's a promise I can keep." He replied.

"It scares me Paul." I admitted. "I'm so afraid that if I put my everything into this that I might end up regretting every bit of it. I hate carrying a broken heart on my sleeve because everyone knows I've been damaged and put together so many times, just to end up shattered once again. I don't think I'd have the strength to pull myself back together again."

"Now wait!" Just then, Paul slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road, unbuckling the both of us before pulling me into his arms, "hold on, hold on Brandon. Don't ever think like that, ever again, do you understand me."

"How can I not?" I asked, still sobbing into his chest.

"Because I'm here now, I'm here to help you put the pieces back together. Like you said, it's my past, and we all have them. I will do everything in my power to make sure that no one ever hurts you the way you have been. From this moment, I will always be there for you, I will protect you, I will tell you every day that I love you, especially if that's what you need. You don't have to face this alone anymore, I promise."

"But what does a promise mean to you Paul?"

"More than what an imprint can give." He replied with honesty. "I swear to you Brandon that you are more than just an imprint, and I refuse to call you that from this day forward. You're literally my soul mate, the love of my life, and if I can have every second of every day to prove that to you, I will."

"Then I promise you that I will try."

"Really?" He looked at me with the biggest grin he could give me; I nodded with the same smile. "You really mean that?"

"Yeah." I could finally feel the butterflies, "I really do." He laughed ecstatically before opening the door to the rainy night, "what are you doing?"

"This!" He pulled me out and lifted me in the air and spun me as he shouted nothings into the rain, both of us laughing as I realized he slowly begin to put me down, only for me to hold onto him and rake my fingers through his wet locks, slowly connecting our lips.

I was on cloud nine. His arms now wrapped around me as I held onto him with my life, the kiss deepening as our tongues began to clash. Rain still falling down our faces, my eyes closed, still basking in the glory of being held by the one man who was willing to give me his world.

His eyes opened to connect with mine, and for once I could feel the connection that he claimed the moment he set sights on me.

"Wow!" He laughed as he slowly put me down on my feet.

"Yeah." I laughed too, "that had to be the best first kiss I had ever had."

"You too?" He teased, leaning down to kiss me again.

"I couldn't have even written something this intense." I admitted as he held me, "now can we go home, as warm as you are, I still would like to get some rest. I'm exhausted."

"Home?" He questioned, "where exactly is that then?"

"Well for now, it's still aunt Tiffany's," he frowned for a moment in disappointment, "but I'd like to stay with you tonight if that's okay?"

"I thought you would never ask." He chuckled as he lifted me back into the truck and closed the door, cranking the heat and driving off into the night.

I kept thinking that this was going to be one night that I will always remember.

* * *

With the night settling in, and the new couple driving towards La Push reservation. No one would be aware of the eyes that watched the scene play out the way it had. In fact, the figure watched intently, angered by the sight they were witnessing.

Only the individual would know that things were about to get a bit more intense.

**A/N: I let you know that once the vision reveals more, the story gets a bit more interesting, which means that more characters will return, ones you may not expect. Believe me, I do have a plan that just might surprise everyone. So please review.**

**Before I go, shouts go to ****IAmFanFicForever****, ****agd888****, ****GoodbyeGreySkies****, ****Nano1354****, ****rAbiDmutt03****, and the two guests who took the time to give their input. **

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**

**P.S. If you feel like telling other's about this story, please do. I'd appreciate it. Also, if you have a great story for me to read, preferably Twilight Wolf Slash let me know. Lately the ones I have been reading have either been discontinued or a bit farfetched for me. Hope that doesn't make me sound ignorant in any way?**


	14. Chapter 13

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

Things were moving too fast, though I couldn't admit it to Paul.

We were caught in the moment. I was a fool to let it slip so fast, but Paul made it so easy. Maybe he was a changed man? Everything he said and everything he did was out of the kindness of his heart. He wore his on his sleeve, and yet mine still had a brick wall around it, slowly falling into pieces with every action he had done, every word he spoke, I couldn't help but to fall hopelessly into his arms.

When we arrived at his house, he even carried me inside bridal style without question. As awkward as it was, I couldn't find myself to get down until he brought me inside and raced to turn on the lights and rush down the hallway. As I stood at his doorway, soaked and cold from the rain, he returned with a towel and a pair of joggers and a t-shirt that was a bit big for even me.

"Bathroom is down the hallway, first door on the left. " He informed me as he left once again.

I nodded and made my way down the hallway. Once I entered the bathroom, I grabbed my phone to text Bonnie, but unfortunately, the thing died and ended up just as soaked as I was. After drying my hair and my body, I pulled on the baggy clothes and gathered my wet clothes and made by way back to the living area where Paul was packing in a few blocks of wood to get the fire going. He hadn't said a word but smiled as I sat on the couch where he told me I could cover up with the blanket.

"Do you have a phone I can use?" I asked before he went back outside, "I should call Bonnie and aunt Tiffany before they worry."

"Yeah, in the kitchen on the wall." He pointed in the direction.

As I dialed, I come to realize that it was the same place as before, but much cleaner and a bit empty. He had a TV and a couch and a recliner in the living area. There were no pictures at all, his walls were bare, just as his table sat in the middle of the dining room, like if hadn't been used yet.

"Hello?" Bonnie answered.

"Hey, it's me!" I said.

"Where are you? I was beginning to worry since you hadn't answered your phone." She spoke a mile a minute, "how come you're not answering your phone?"

"I'm at Paul's." I replied, trying to whisper in the receiver, "my phone is dead, I'm guessing the rain had something to do with it since the stupid thing was soaked."

"Are you coming home tonight?" She asked.

"No, I don't think so." I replied a bit nervous, "I told Paul I'd spend the night."

"Is that a good idea?" she asked unsure.

"I don't know," I admitted, "but if you need me, you guys know where to find me."

"Okay, be safe!" She giggled.

"Ugh, you're sick Bon," I laughed.

"That's not what I meant," she fended, "but now that you mentioned it."

"Good night." I interrupted.

"Good night B, love you." She said cheerfully.

"Love you too."

By then, Paul had already started the fire in the fireplace. It didn't take a genius that he hardly used that either. I was beginning to think that Paul was hardly here himself. The place almost seemed like it had been abandoned, only used when the time was needed.

"You should be warm soon enough." He informed, now taking off his jacket and his boots. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Sure." I smiled; sitting on the couch again and wrapping the blanket around me as I watched the flames slowly dance in the fireplace.

It didn't take long for him to come back in his flannel pajama pants and muscle shirt. He offered to make some hot chocolate as he told me to pick out a movie to watch. The fact that I was tired didn't seem to stop me either; I was actually looking forward to spend more time with Paul, even if that meant I was too tired to do it. It took longer than I expected to pick out a movie since he had nothing but old action movies and those of the horror variety. So I settled on an action flick.

He handed me the hot mug before sitting next to me. I hadn't expected him to sit so close either, but I didn't say anything either. It actually felt good to feel the heat coming from him too, which made me wonder if the heat coming from the fire was a bit much for him.

"Does the fire bother you?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Not really. But once it gets hotter, you'll no once I start taking these off." He pulled on his shirt and pants. I looked a bit shocked. "It was a joke."

"Yeah." I chuckled. "Well you can open the window if it does, I don't mind. I can at least warm up where it looks like you guys take awhile to cool down."

"Well I am pretty hot most of the time." He chuckled. "Pun intended."

"Do you all use that joke?" I laughed, "I'm sure that puts a foot in the mouth at times."

"I wouldn't know." He shrugged, "I don't think the other's are hot."

"I don't know," I smirked, "I have to admit that I was looking in the beginning."

"No you weren't." He sounded so sure, "they were nothing compared to me."

"Conceited?" I took a sip, "not so sure about that."

"Not conceited." He sat up, "just confident."

"Okay, I'll change the subject." I smiled as I placed my mug on the coffee table. The movie had already begun at a low volume. "What about your pack? How did you end up being a part of it?"

"It's not something I joined, it's nothing like a cult." He leaned back.

"I didn't mean it in that way. I just wondered how it all happened for you."

"Well." He placed his hand on my knee, I looked for a moment before he moved it again to the side, "well, I was the third to phase."

"Really? Who was the first?"

"Sam." He continued, "his story on being the first is entirely different from how we all started. Since he is the oldest, he was the first to phase, but that didn't mean he was born alpha. But he was our alpha in the beginning. When he phased, he ran in fear of what he was and disappeared for a couple of weeks. I was too much into my own world to even realize any of this. But when he came back, we sure the hell noticed him."

"How?"

"He began to walk around like he owned everything, cocky bastard flaunted everything walking around with his jean shorts and nothing else." He smirked and chuckled nervously.

"Am I sensing a bit of jealousy?" I teased.

"Hell yeah." He admitted with a laugh, "it was messing with my game at the time, every chick wanted him, but Leah had him at the time. They envied her, and we envied Sam for playing like the idiot and not noticing any of the other girls. But that changed soon when he imprinted on Emily. I thought it was messed up how he was so in love with Leah at the time, and just in a blink of an eye, Emily was his world. Then Jared phased."

"I'm guessing he started flaunting it?" I teased.

"Yeah, and It pissed me off even more because I was his best friend." He continued, "when he phased, he wasn't allowed to talk to me. He abandoned me because of alpha orders and I was left to myself, pissed off with the world and even more pissed that Jared was the talk of the rez too."

"Then you phased?"

"Yeah." He smiled again, "when I phased, I panicked. I didn't know what was going on, and I thought I was going crazy the moment I saw my wolf's reflections staring back at me. But I soon adjusted after being reacquainted with Jared and getting to know just who Sam was. But then came the consequences of it. The constant heat, the anger, the sharing of our thought's in our wolf forms, and I used to say imprinting."

"But you don't anymore?" I asked unsure.

"With Rachel, she made me hate the idea of it. Because she was such a bitch to me, I thought I was screwed in this whole deal. I thought that I was being punished for all the shit I cause with the girls in my past." He said, only stopping when he realized what he said.

"It was only girls in the beginning, right?"

"Yes." He leaned forward and leaned his elbows on his knees, staring down on the floor, "only because I never really looked at another man."

"But you never were attracted to another guy before me though?" I wasn't even sure if it was an attraction he had for me.

"No." He stared at me. "You want the truth?" He turned to me, "no, I never ever did look at another man until you. Whether it being the imprint or not, whatever it was, I felt it in the beginning, the moment I met you. You don't get it when I say this Brandon. When you're imprinted on someone, no other should matter to us, but for some damn reason, you did. You gave me some sort of hope to move forward."

"I didn't mean to upset you." I said in a dead tone.

"You didn't." He replied frustrated. "Look B, I admit, this all still scares me, but I haven't been so sure that this is it, that you're it. You just need to trust me and I will never break that promise."

"I do." I muttered. "In some crazy way, I do."

Nothing much was left to be said after that. We had been conversing since the beginning of the date I was sure that we had enough to tell each other's biographies. Often he'd stare figuring I hadn't noticed, I guess something I would have to get used of. Then there was the dozing off. Try as I might, I found myself exhausted and just wanting to sleep, so I did. My eyes closed before I could fight the sleep.

I just wish I could say I was heading to dreamland this time.

_I knew I'd be back here. _

_The darkness. The eerie atmosphere, the fog dancing across the grey like ground, the chill that snuck up on you; all of it felt so real. _

_The same trail led me to my destination. This time, I knew where I was going. This time maybe I could make sure that I get to the point a lot quicker rather then questioning our situation. Whoever was after Elena, maybe we could reveal the next one too._

'_It's about time!' I turned to see Bonnie with Elena in tow, 'I had to go looking for Elena while waiting for you.'_

'_It's not like I did it on purpose.' I said in defense. 'Have you seen anything yet?'_

'_Nothing.' Bonnie replied._

'_Something's not right.' Elena interrupted._

'_What do you mean?' I asked._

'_I don't know, but I've been hiding because I can't help but get the feeling that something is out there.' She looked panicked. 'I can explain it, but it doesn't feel good. I haven't seen any of the others yet either.'_

'_Are they hiding too?' Bonnie asked._

'_I'm sure of it.' Elena replied, 'the last time you left, it was as if the atmosphere shifted into a darker phase, when I seen the others disappear, I knew I had to.'_

'_We need to find the others!' Bonnie demanded, I nodded and began to walk faster to the clearing, hoping something or someone would show up._

'_It's here!' Elena panicked, holding onto Bonnie's arm and mine. 'It's close by.'_

_We stood still, waiting for anything to appear in the shadows at least, until we felt the intense shiver run through us. Something definitely wasn't right. And if we couldn't find the others, it could be a possibility that we just might be too late._

_Then the hollering came. Unsure of whom it could be, we stayed on the lookout. Watching our surroundings, we watched the direction where the voice was coming from, one that none of us were familiar with. It was a man, I was sure of it now. That was until we could hear the howls of a wolf._

_For the first time, what was a large shadowy figure coming towards us quickly began to change into a human figure. We knew by then it was a shapeshifter. At first I worried that it might be Paul, but I would have recognized his voice as the man shouted at us to hide. _

_By the time his face came into view, he was shoving us in the opposite direction and moving us deeper into the forest._

'_What's going on?' Bonnie and I asked. _

'_I don't know what it is, but it's not good.' The man spoke._

_Following him, I still had a hard time getting a clear image of his features, knowing that it had to be one of Sam's pack brother's, but who? Everything was happening so fast that we could hear a loud roar in a distance. The man had finally led us to a hidden area where he told us to stay put._

'_What about you?' I asked him._

'_I'll be fine.' He muttered as peeked out, 'I have to go back and find the other one.'_

'_One what?' Bonnie asked in a panic._

'_I don't know, but I get the strong feeling I know who it is.' He replied about to leave, 'now stay here! I have to go.'_

_It was then I finally was able to see who it actually was. He looked distraught and worried with doubt. Just as panicked as we were. With one quicker glance, I questioned him. _

'_Jacob? Jacob Black?'_

It was a nightmare. I was sweating by the time I had woken up. I had no clue of my whereabouts, just that it was a dark room with the window shining the dimness of the moonlight. It was still the middle of the night and I was a bit shook from the adrenaline. I needed to know why and what happened, and why Jacob Black was protecting us from someone or something.

Then the door creaked open. I turned to find Paul standing there, in the shadows, asking me if I was okay. As I sat up, he moved in closer and sat next to me. The thing was, I wasn't sure if I'd be okay, or that I could answer him honestly. I needed that comfort, but I didn't know how to tell him. Maybe he knew since he moved in closer and wrapped his arms around me, shushing me and letting me know that everything was going to be okay. I just didn't know that I was still crying. My hands gripped onto his shirt and I moved in closer until I was nuzzled right into his chest. Before I could comprehend what exactly was happening, he lifted me until I was lying next to him. My head now rested on his bicep as he wrapped his massive frame around me.

I couldn't mutter a word. The more I thought about it all, the more disturbing it was for me. Even though it was Jacob haunting my dreams with his fears, it almost felt that it was Paul I should be worrying about. Like I should be protecting him too.

The morning came sooner than I could recall, I fell asleep in Paul's arms not realizing I was more drained than I thought. By then, Paul woke me up to bring me home, refusing to leave me alone when he was sure that something was up. It wouldn't take him long to hear about this either, and I didn't know how to explain any of it to him.

When I arrived at the Call house, aunt Tiffany already had breakfast prepared. Bonnie had already been on her second cup of coffee, looking a bit distraught and unsettled as I was. Surely the discussion would pick up, but I needed to say bye to Paul before she started asking me questions.

"Are you going to be okay?" His hands were on my waist as he leaned down, his chin resting lightly on my head. I nodded. "I shouldn't be too long, my patrols should be only for a few hours since the others are still in training."

"Be safe?" I muttered as I rubbed my cheek to the back of his hand.

"Always," he grinned as he kissed my cheek, leaving a warm sensation before disappearing into the tree lines.

"G'morning sweetie," aunt Tiffany handed me a coffee before offering a muffin.

"Is it really that good?" I asked curiously, mostly for Bonnie's attention.

"It should be," she smiled with a giggle, "Paul did in fact just bring you home."

"We didn't do anything." I defended. "We just talked."

Thankfully, the subject was dropped and they minded their own business. I wasn't really up to reminiscing about the date when it seemed that we were at a deadline with whatever the hell was going on. Which made me wonder, how Kai was able to strengthen his abilities so much when it seems to be taking us awhile. How did he get in touch with the spirit realms and practically take control of the portals. It wasn't making sense.

"I got nothing." Bonnie exclaimed, "the more I think about what we saw, the more worried I am. If something is after us, or this Jacob guy, then what can we do? I'm lost for once."

I shrugged. "I think we awakened the spirits." I admitted. "Whatever it is, could be a danger to all of us."

"But who else was it he had to save?" Bonnie asked, "he mentioned that there was another out there that needed his help, but I don't think he knew."

"Renesmee?" Tiffany questioned. "I think that's her name. His imprint. Usually when something like this happens, if he felt the need to be there, then it usually has to do with a wolf's imprint. Maybe she's the other one."

"Could be." Bonnie sat in thought. "But what does this all have to do with Elena?"

"Well assuming that this Renesmee is the last piece to this puzzle, how does she fit in with the rest." I began to wonder, "we have the two of us, Elena, Jacob… but there's still one missing."

"Well what about you two?" Aunt Tiffany asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"How did you feel?" I looked at Bonnie.

"Nothing."

"Worried." I admitted. "Like I should've gone with Jacob. Like I needed to be somewhere too, as if someone needed me."

"Could the other be Paul?" She asked.

I looked at my aunt for a moment in worry, "I was afraid of that."

"Really?" Bonnie looked confused. "How?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "but I can tell you how relieved I was when I saw Paul the moment I woke up." I muttered, "honestly, it felt as if I had already lost him, and I still barely know him."

"It's the imprint." Aunt Tiffany explained, "it's running it's coarse. Everything you face from here on, you will face with him. Perhaps you're the reality of what could happen."

"What do you mean Tiff?" Bonnie asked.

"I still believe it has something to do with what Brandon had done with Paul." She poured another cup of tea. "When Brandon came here, we almost lost hope until he was able to call out to Paul and break the chains that imprisoned Paul. Maybe another imprint needs to be broken?" She looked a bit suspicious as she sipped on her tea.

"Do you mean Jacob?" I asked.

"But why break Jacob's imprint? Hasn't there been enough of that?" Bonnie asked.

"All I'm saying is that it could be possible. The more I think about it, the more I can think about how everyone didn't approve of the imprint in the first place." Tiffany debated. "Jake caught so much flack for it, and Embry was finding it hard to stick up for him when he himself felt that something wasn't right."

"How do they feel now about the imprint?" I asked.

"Unsure." She responded almost blankly, "Sam had to enforce a few rules just to be safe. She may be Jacob's imprint, but she's still not allowed across our boundary lines but she's still protected under pack laws."

"But you said she's half-human you said?" Bonnie thought out, her reaction as if she had an idea.

"Yeah." Aunt Tiffany shrugged nonchalantly.

"So her heart still beats?" Again, she nodded. "Knowing the gist of it all, I can only understand that she may be a part of this after all."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Before Bonnie could explain her theories, Embry came charging through the door in a rush, racing towards me as he grabbed me without question, dragging me along with him before explaining the chaos.

"You need to come quickly!" He demanded as I followed.

"What's going on?" I asked in a panic.

"It's the Tyler guy!" He began pulling his shorts off, "he's been intruding and come across Paul's path, it doesn't look good." Before I could respond he ordered. "Get on!"

In a flash, in place of Embry was a grey wolf, kneeling forward for me to climb on. By this time, Bonnie and Tiffany were climbing into Bonnie's car to follow us. In a breakneck pace, Embry had already begun running. To keep from falling, I stayed as close as I could to his body, holding onto his fur on the side as I ducked my head and watched as everything passed in a blur.

Just as I was sure we were arriving at the scene, Embry let out a howl. As everything came into sight, I could see the pack standing in attack mode, watching intently just as sure as I saw two wolves tumble across the forest's ground. Caroline and Damon were even there, but they seem to stay in their place as they shouted for Tyler to stop, only to fall upon deaf ears.

My adrenaline had already shifted into gear by the time Embry stopped abruptly, almost sending me flying if I hadn't caught grip and landed beside him. With a quiet apology, I ran towards the fighting wolves.

"Are you crazy!" Caroline stood in front of me now, blocking me from falling in the line of the collision, shoving the pair in the opposite direction.

"I have to try something!" I maneuvered myself around her before she could grab me.

Everything was happening so fast that I didn't have time to see any of the others respond. I figured that Paul and Tyler would realize that I was here, but that hadn't stopped them from their feud. I was freaking out about this time, unsure what I could do other than having to interfere myself.

"I said STOP!"

Just as they came close, I swung my arms until my palms clashed, sending a sound wave that was sure to bother those in a mile's radius. Regretfully, everyone felt it. I even felt guilty that both Paul and Tyler collapsed in pain as the sound reached their ears. It was almost like an echo of a whistle, making everyone grip onto their ears as they practically fell to the ground in pain.

All I could do was watch the others gather their composure.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" I asked angered.

**A/N: Shout outs for last chapter's reviewer's ****rAbiDmutt03****, ****IAmFanFicForever****, ****GoodbyeGreySkies****, and ****Nano1354****.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	15. Chapter 14

**D: Disclaimed.**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

"I don't get it," I was frustrated. "Why now? Why here?"

He remained silent, shrugging his shoulders. For once, Tyler Lockwood was speechless, and I was the one who wanted to scream and shout. I was furious. It wasn't bad enough with all the shit I was dealing with, but now Tyler wants to interfere? And for what? It's not like he was willing to answer me at the moment. It was as if he was lost for words, and that was so unlike him. Tyler Lockwood was the cocky-type who had everything to say.

Maybe because he thought he claimed victory in some way when I asked Paul to stay behind and wait. I only begged Paul because I knew it wasn't Paul's wolf that was losing it. I needed to assure him that I needed to talk to Tyler, that I needed to get things straight with him. Especially figuring things out on my own. I didn't exactly tell Paul that we're together because I wasn't entirely sure if we were.

"Say something!" I growled at him.

"I don't know what to say!" he replied.

"Anything! Just anything!"

"Why him?" He turned to glare at Paul from a distance before looking back at me.

I didn't expect that. As I looked at Paul, I tried finding reasoning. It was never great in the beginning, and the imprint he had on me didn't exactly send him chasing after me, but he did admit something; his truce. There was some sort of appreciation in the beginning that he tried to ignore. He didn't hide anything. He didn't play the same games Tyler always had.

"Because with me, he didn't have me playing the crying game." I shrugged, staring at Paul with a half-smile. "Sure he might have been an asshole in the beginning, but so were you. But he told me the truth and told me the one thing you couldn't."

"I've always loved you Brandon." He cried out, moving closer, "I may have been a coward to show it, but I needed proof that you would never leave me. But you did."

"I left?" I exclaimed, "are you kidding me? The entire time I tried to break down those walls, you pushed me away. You made be feel wanted, then you would toss me aside whenever you I seemed to be getting closer. It hurt so damn much to see you easily replace me with someone, and every time, it was some random girl."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Listen to yourself!" I threw my arms up in frustration. "I shouldn't have had to tell you. You knew somewhere in your head that I would do anything for you, but you would never let me in. My heart could only take so much until I finally realized that fighting for you lost it's worth. So I did the only thing I could think of and I left."

"By faking your death?" His eyes were actually tearing, "you have no idea how I felt after that Brandon. For once in my life, I thought I lost my reason for existing. I hated the world and everyone in it because I couldn't have or be with the one person who actually loved me. I swore from then on that if I couldn't resurrect you like Bonnie had promised most of us, I'd gladly join you."

"So my death was the only thing that made you realize?" I looked at him with disgust. "I had to leave in order for you to realize what you lost? Would we still be here if I decided to stay? I doubt it. I guarantee that I'd still be stuck as some sort of sidekick if I stayed."

"I just needed time Brandon." He grabbed my hand before I pulled away.

"Time was all you had Tyler." I replied in a shaky tone. "I could have waited for years, but I just wasn't strong enough to keep putting the pieces back together every time. What we had been toxic."

"You don't believe that." He argued. "You knew that I love you."

"But here's the thing Tyler." I turned to him, "I couldn't wait for you to admit it. It's too late."

"No, please, just give me another chance, I'm begging you." He tried hugging me.

"I did, several times, but now it's time to move on." I sighed, "just please Tyler, go home."

"You can't mean that!" He stared at me like I betrayed him. "I won't. I'm not giving up." He managed to pull me into his embrace, his naked chest pressing against me, "I'll be back as soon as he breaks your heart."

Just like that, he fled; leaving me stunned and a very jealous wolf that came to my side. I watched as he disappeared, holding onto Paul, as I knew he was ready to go after him. "Paul, don't! It's not worth it."

He stayed silent for a moment, his jaw tighten as his fists seem to do the same, glaring in the direction of where Tyler disappeared before looking back at me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I muttered.

The thing was, I wasn't sure if I was. I was confused. Hurt. Vulnerable. Betrayed, and a bit relieved. I was upset with Tyler, but it doesn't seem to last that long because I seem to always want to forgive him.

Then I look at Paul again and I'm lost for words. Every emotion that plagues me seems to be forgotten the moment I realize just how much that man cares for me. No longer do I want to think about the past because it only seems to keep me locked in that one space. It shouldn't matter any more that our love was built from an imprint, but the journey it takes to make it all work. This time it's not just me; this time I'll have Paul.

With the chaos that had just taken place, it was discussed that more precautions had to be taken place. Since it was just Tyler this time, we still needed to be aware of any other threats. If Tyler was going to return, then Caroline and Damon decided to deal with him for now. Right now, our focus was needed on our plans, if we had one per se.

Everything was still a blur, and if our theories were correct, than maybe we were really on to something. Of course we didn't want to say anything yet unless we were sure. Which meant that Jacob's fate could be in our hands if it really is true –him and his imprint.

Ever since the fight, Paul has stayed closer to me. His patrols were shortened because of this. According to Sam, I needed to be protected, and Paul needed to be there for me. I didn't want to be a bother, but I was glad to have him around more. But ever since then, a week had passed, neither Bonnie nor I have had any visions, and it was beginning to worry both of us. It was like we were given all of the hints, but the missing link was the biggest part of it.

"Are you okay?" I shook out of my daze, giving Paul a nod and a smile, "you look like you have something on your mind."

"It's nothing." I leaned into him next on the couch, ignoring whatever was on the TV. "I was just thinking."

"About?" He shifted forward, lifting my chin to look at him.

I leaned forward and sat up to look at him, "just about the weird dreams I've been having. Or the lack thereof."

He gave me a strange expression.

"Bonnie and I have been having these… visions, and none of it seems to be making sense." I explained, "but now that we seemed to be close to it, it's like we were left in the dust. I haven't had a vision of some sort for about a week."

"Just let it come to you, I'm sure something's about to come up."

"You sound so sure." I replied.

"I'm not." He kissed my temple, "but maybe relaxing is something you might need."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

The fact was, I didn't want to admit to Paul that he might be a part of this too. I just didn't want to worry him with possibilities. Especially if he it was meant for nothing. Though it might have been better for me to be honest with him. It's one thing that I really wasn't sure of.

Before going back to aunt Tiff's, I told him I'd be back the next day, which kind of left us in an argument I wanted to avoid, though I knew it was coming up eventually. I was just hoping that Paul wouldn't bring it up or push for it.

"Why don't you just stay tonight?" He whispered in my ear, his arms still wrapped around me.

I looked up at him with a defeated expression, actually more of a frustrated one, "I can't, I have to go home."

"But this could be your home." He teased with another kiss on my forehead.

"Paul," I sighed, "I can't. I have to be home just in case Bonnie needs me."

"Just tell her that you're here."

"But what about aunt Tiffany?"

"What about her?" I could hear the frustration building in his voice. "She has Embry, she'll be fine."

"But I don't have a change of clothes."

"You can use one of mine tonight and we'll get your things tomorrow." He continued, "you do look sexy in my clothes." He leaned in and kissed my ear.

"Paul," I giggled, pushing him back slightly, "I can't. I should be going home."

"C'mon B," he held onto my waist.

"I'm not ready," I finally admitted.

He stood in silence for a moment, "is it because of Tyler?"

I had to admit that I was shocked that he even brought him up, and I felt kind of insulted.

"Tyler? No! Why would you ask that?"

"Because you've been distant from me ever since he came here." He pulled away, his voice a bit different.

"Distant?"

"Ever since Sam has given me time off to spend with you, you barely said a thing to me

other than letting me near you, and even that's subtle." He sounded hurt.

"I didn't think I was," I replied, "like I said, I have a lot on my mind, excluding Tyler. He's the last thing on my mind. I've just been overloaded with trying to figure things out with Bonnie. I didn't think you would mind."

"Well I do Brandon." He wouldn't face me, "how can we build a relationship when I barely get to spend time with you?"

"I can't help it, I'm trying to figure things out before it's too late."

"Well you need to make time to figure things out with us Brandon," I could tell I hit some sort of nerve, and I felt guilty, "I want to move forward, I want more than this, but every time I do, it feels like I have to beg for it."

I was speechless. The fact that we were arguing was unsettling, and now that this was practically my fault, I wasn't used of being on the other side. I wasn't use of being the one who cause the pain. Was I treating Paul unfairly? Was it so wrong for me to be afraid to move on when I wasn't exactly ready for it?

"Listen, I gotta go anyways," Paul walked passed me and out the door without even looking back.

The worst part of it was that I just let him go.

* * *

Days after that even felt like crap. It was hard not to think of Paul when I should've been focused on trying to break the curse that was put on Elena. But the more I tried to use it as an excuse to ignore what I was feeling, the more it hurt. And I was sure that Paul was feeling a part of it too. The problem with it all though was that were both too stubborn to deal with it.

He was often patrolling or with one of his pack brothers while I practically stayed with Bonnie the entire time. It wasn't easier, but it was something to pass the time until something came up, unfortunately, nothing was happening.

"We need to focus Brandon! Elena and the others are depending on us." Bonnie ordered.

It was her that decided that we should form some sort of ritual to call upon the spirits. She figured that if we can at least seek them out, then maybe the visions would come back, but the problem was is that I just couldn't find it in me to focus. Bonnie knew this.

"Don't you think I am?" I lashed out annoyed.

"No, you're not Brandon," she replied in the same tone, "now cut the shit and tell me what's going on."

"Nothing's going on." I argued, not making eye contact. "I just don't know how to focus when it feels like we're being rushed."

"Bullshit." She cussed, "I know you Brandon, and something has been bothering you for awhile now, spill it."

"It's nothing!" I replied annoyed.

"Brandon, I swear to god if you don't start talking, I will…"

"Fine!" I glared at her for a moment. "It's Paul."

"Paul? I thought things were running smoothly with you guys." She looked at me confused, "the last time I seen you two, you both were all lovey-dovey."

"Not since Tyler came back." I replied upset, "he thinks that I just might still have feeling for him."

"Of course you do!" She stated bluntly.

"No I don't." I replied offended.

"Don't play games with me Brandon," She said, "I know too well how difficult it is to get over a past lover. You two will never understand that the way a woman sees it. An ex always has a part of you whether you like it or not, otherwise you wouldn't have fell in love with them in the first place. It's a thing that Paul needs to understand, and a thing that you need to upset. There is nothing wrong with it, just don't let it get in the way and be the topic to every argument. It's something both of you need to discuss and get passed, otherwise the trust you wish to build, will never grow."

I didn't say anything. Everything she said was true. As much as I wanted to hate Tyler, I still had feelings for him. He was my first love, and even though it wasn't healthy, my heart still followed him. If I were to move on and be with Paul, I needed to let him know that I am a working progress, just like him. I needed to stop being afraid of getting my heart stomped on and just trust that Paul would be there to help keep it safe. I know it sounds a bit corny, but it's the best way I can explain it.

I needed to take that leap with Paul.

"I'm sure that if you talk to him about i-i…"

The moment she made the connection with me, It felt as if we were sent into a shockwave of emotions until the world around us began to fade and the nightmare of the other world became visible.

_We were back on the other side._

'_Something's not right!' I turned to see Elena standing next to us again. 'He hasn't come back.'_

'_Jacob?' I asked._

_She nodded._

_Then I felt it. The pang in my chest. The massive pulsing of my heart racing, as if an adrenaline kicked in, and I was shook with the fear and possibility of loss. I stopped in my tracks and stared at Bonnie in terror. She watched me with confusion._

'_I think he's out there too.' I felt the tear trickle down my cheek, 'Paul, I have to go and find him!'_

'_Wait Brandon!' She pulled on my arm, 'how can you be so sure?'_

'_How can I not be?' I looked back at her, "you can't wait here if you want, but I get the feeling Paul needs me."_

_And just like that, I was on a race against time. For the first time, I was following my heart rather than my head, and I knew then that I was getting close. I could feel the shiver down my spine, the distant growls of a wolf. Then the roar of something else. What should have been a sign for me to turn back, still hadn't stopped me from racing forward to the direction I felt pulled too._

'_PAUL!' I screamed. _

_Still nothing. The fog seemed to hide everything surrounding me, and all I could hear was the footsteps around me. It felt as if I was lost in a place of nowhere, haunted by the spirits of the ones I had lost. That was until they came into view. _

_Jacob and Paul. Both in their wolf forms, and both bloody with fear in their eyes. Whatever they were running from, I didn't get a chance to see. Before I could react, Paul already had swooped under me and lifted me until I took hold of his fur, both of us racing into the darkness ahead of us._

_What were left behind us was the roar of a monster and a scream of a human I would never know._

In that brief moment, the power exchanged between Bonnie and I, sent us flying back until we both collided with the opposite sides of the room, clashing with the walls with whatever could fall on us.

I could only wince in pain as I realized just how strong the vision was, and how much power was used to see what we could. As I moved forward, I could feel the blood seep down my forehead, the cause of it –one of Embry's sports trophies that happened to connect with my head. My body ached and all I could think of was the nightmare we just came from. It all seemed too real, and I was more than correct when I seen Paul come to rescue me.

Whatever was chasing them, didn't want us to know something. That, or it could be something entirely different.

"That scream." Bonnie muttered as leaned forward. Her lip was bleeding just as her head was too. "Did you hear that scream?"

"Yeah," I grunted. "And that roar."

"Yeah," she winced as she sat up, "and I get the feeling that our theories are correct."

"What do you mean?" I asked unsure.

"I think this a warning of some sort." She sat up, slowly catching her balance as she leaned on the bedpost. "Remember when we talked about Jacob and his imprint on the hybrid?"

"Yeah?" I sat up to until I leaned forward and crawled up on the bed. "What about it?"

"The beast?" She replied, "the child that could be created if they continue on Jacob's line."

"What? But how? I don't get it?" I looked at her confused.

"It's starting to make sense Brandon." She sat next to me, "think about the vision. The roar, then the scream."

"Yeah?"

"The scream, I think it was Jacob's imprint." She winced again from the pain, "she was probably running too, it's we hadn't seen her because she doesn't have a soul really."

"Which is why she was never visible?" I started catching on. "Shit!"

"What?" Bonnie looked at me shocked.

"The bond! The warnings! The imprint! The monster! Elena!" I started speaking a mile a minute before she told me to slow down and explain. "It's all beginning to make sense."

"What?"

"The imprint, both of them," I tried to explain, "remember when you said that Paul's imprint on me could be an example?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I think you were right." I gave her a shocked expression.

"Spit it out!" She said impatiently.

"When you said that the imprint Jacob had on the hybrid, you said that even you believed that something wasn't right with it because of the legends." She looked confused, "well, in the vision, you also said it could be a warning of some sort."

"Yeah?"

"Well, when I broke the imprint with Paul, Rachel's soul was finally free, and Paul's latched onto me." She still looked confused. "Jacob's imprint is half-human and half mortal."

"Get to the point."

"That's the imprint we need to break." I stated bluntly. "You need to break the imprint!"

"And how the hell is that going to help Elena?"

"I think it was the reason Elena was there." I continued, "once you break the imprint, we can break the bond that Elena has with you and where else is she going to attach herself to other than the only being that could promise her the eternity of being a vampire and still existing?"

"Jacob's imprint?"

"Yeah." I replied, "think about it. Once Elena is attached to the hybrid, she would wake up too, and she would live on until one of them were killed. Neither can die unless someone killed them."

"And Elena wouldn't have to wait for me to die?" She asked unsure, I nodded, "but wait a minute, that would mean that Jacob would imprint on me, right?"

"Yeah." I half-smiled.

"No, no, no, no. No way." She stood up, "that can't be right."

"Why else would Jacob be in the vision too? And why would we be warned about the monster?" I asked her, "this is a way to wake Elena, and not only that, but stop the future generation of monsters that could be born if we don't do something."

"There has to be another way." She pulled through her scalp in frustration, "this can't be it?"

"I think it is." I stood next to her for comfort, "be as it may Bon, I don't want to find out that we have to battle a monster within the next year because we didn't do something about it."

"But I don't even know Jacob?" She argued.

"I didn't know Paul either, but I soon will get to." I replied unsure.

"But he's a wolf, I'm a witch."

"You're really using that as an argument?" I smirked.

"Okay, but isn't he younger than me?"

"He doesn't look like it, and besides, age is just a number." I chuckled.

"This isn't funny," she whined, "I'm not a cougar, I don't date guys younger than me."

"There's like a two year difference?" I argued, "you can't seriously let that get in the way."

"But what if they don't agree to this?" She stated, "it's not going to be easy bringing this up to them."

"Right now, I believe the tribe believes that a witch is a better suited mate for their alpha than a hybrid that's supposed to be the enemy." I stated, "I think it's just Jacob's heart we'll have to convince."

"You really think we're supposed to be doing this?" She questioned me.

I shrugged, "for once, it feels like we just might be doing the right thing."

"What about Caroline and them? How do you think they'll react to this?" She asked.

"It's something I think they'll understand." I replied.

"This probably means I'll have to stay here too right?" She sighed, looking down at the floor in distraction.

"Yeah," I replied, "but it just might not be that bad."

"But an imprint?" She quivered like she was a bit disgusted by it, "it almost feels like an arranged marriage of some sort."

"It kind of is." I admitted. "But if I'm correct, and if Jacob treats you the same way Paul treats me, then maybe this is just right for you."

"But if I do this, I want to get to know him at least." She put her finger up like she was ordering me.

I chuckled. "It's something that you can request from him." I hugged her, "the thing is, when they imprint, they become anything you want them to be, and if you want to take the time to get to know each other, they seem to be okay with it."

"You sound so sure." She smiled.

"I'm not, but I'm hopeful." I smiled back, "now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and apologize to my boyfriend before we go into the battlefield."

"Boyfriend?" She smirked with an arched brow.

"Yeah." I smiled. "Boyfriend."

**A/N: First of all, apologies for the late update, I've been trying my best to figure out where I wanted to go with the next chapter without rushing the story, so here it is to everyone who has been waiting patiently.**

**I want to give big thanks for all of the reviews; I really do appreciate each and everyone of them. So shoutouts go to ****GoodbyeGreySkies, Eat my Words 4 me****, ****, ****rAbiDmutt03****, ****agd888****, ****Feraw813****, and ****patoisabel2015****.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	16. Chapter 15

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

* * *

Procrastinating –one of my many professions.

I've been sitting here thinking. Downing my third cup of coffee and coming up with excuses from trying to face my problems. Probably not a good thing, but it's been working for the past hour and a half.

At first, my plans were to go find Paul and start apologizing to him, but then soon realizing that I didn't know exactly how I was going to do, I ended up pulling into this diner and hadn't left since. It just seemed easier to avoid anything and everything at the moment. And for once, it almost felt as if the supernatural life didn't exist beyond here. It felt normal and relaxing at some point.

I could go without the child screaming in the background, but I was okay with it for now.

It kind of helped me to chase the thoughts away. But I pitied the mother in some way as she struggled with the child to eat. The husband was too busy on his phone while the mother gave him a glare. I'd be upset to if I was in her shoes.

Then it brought me back to Paul. I ignored him more often than I should have, and I bet he was just as frustrated as that lady was. I could see it was unfair, but I just couldn't think of a way to fix it. I've been damaged. Lately picking up the pieces I had lost was a bigger task then before. I couldn't just fall in love with Paul the way he expected me to. It didn't help much that the others were flaunting their happiness either. I felt like a defect. A constant reminder of the guilt I carried because I broke something that was supposed to be sacred.

I was the mistake given to Paul.

Was there a part of him that was still upset with me? Could we ever be happy with the past constantly reminding me of my selfish acts? I just wanted everything to get better without facing any consequences. I wanted Paul to be happy. I wanted to be strong enough to give that to him, but I always doubted myself that I couldn't because of the one person who made it impossible. Tyler.

As much as I forced myself to forget him, I couldn't. The pain he caused me was a reminder that I was human. I've grown accustomed to the brutalities. In a disgusting way, I found comfort in being treated less than my worth. Because of it, I couldn't let anyone love me before hurting me. The pain was just easier to deal with. Compassion was easier to push away.

Now that's all Tyler wanted? It was never like him to put me in that position. It was always him that only mattered. Now that I was given the opportunity to feel loved in some way, I wanted to run. I wanted to get away.

But I wanted to be loved.

Now that's the thing that scared me the most. It meant that I would have to let my guard down and trust that my heart was strong enough to go through it, I just wasn't sure how to open those doors and break down those walls.

The sad thing about it all was that I dreamed of one day finding that special someone, that one guy that would treat me like I meant something in him. I used to think that's what Tyler felt, and his flaws were ours. But now that Paul has stepped in and showed be beyond that, I'm afraid that one day he'll go back to the same man I was introduced to. The same man I was afraid Tyler would turn back to too.

I guess the big question was, how long would it all last before everything came crashing down? There was only really one way to find out, I just wasn't sure if I should take that leap.

For now, I needed to apologize to Paul. I owed him that at least.

Taking my last drink of my coffee, I left a tip and headed out to Bonnie's car that I borrowed for just this task.

As I sat behind the wheel, I didn't know where to begin my search. Assuming someone from the pack might know. I figured I would drive to Sam's and go from there.

The drive there was quicker than I expected, maybe I was just eager to see Paul more than anything. But as I pulled up the driveway to the small cabin, I come to realize that no one was home other than Emily. She seemed a bit concerned and distraught as she watched me get closer to the house, approaching me in a quick pace.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"I don't think so." She replied, "Tiffany called and said that Bonnie was at the Cullen's looking for you. They've been searching for you all morning."

"W-why?" I asked in a panic. "Is something wrong?"

"She didn't say much, just that you need to hurry over there."

Without saying goodbye, I pulled out and shifted the gear into drive and sped off towards Forks. From there I would have to go the Cullen's where Elena and the rest were. I just didn't know what I was to expect. I was kind of worried that Bonnie broke the news about Jacob, hoping that nothing went out of control because of it.

Twenty minutes later I was pulling into the Cullen's driveway, racing around the corners, skidding through the soft dirt, as I got closer to the manor. No one was in sight until I could see Alice coming down the steps in a hurry. Her expression worried me even more as I came closer and to a halt in front of her. Before I could open my door, she already had as she began asking about my whereabouts.

"Where have you been?" She asked as she pulled me out of the car and dragged me with her up the steps.

"The diner?" I followed unsure, "what's going on? Why didn't anyone just call me?"

"Bonnie tried, and so did I, but it went straight to voicemail." She mentioned. "Things have gotten worse with your friend Tyler."

"Tyler?" I stopped her with a confused expression. "What happened?"

"Him and Paul!" was all she said before pulling me with her again as I followed her to the back door. "They crossed paths again."

"Shit!" I cursed as I noticed Stefan and Damon holding Tyler against a tree, Bonnie attempting to calm him as he thrashed to be released.

"I said calm down Tyler!" Bonnie demanded, "don't make me cause more pain."

"That's not helping Bon!" I raced towards them, Tyler soon recognizing me.

His pupils disappeared; all I could see was the darkness that usually remained hidden. I knew he was close to phasing, but it didn't make sense since it wasn't the full moon. Both vampires struggled to hold him still as he continued to shake in fury. Something was definitely out of place. Something went down as I realized our surroundings. It almost looked as if a battle took place in the back yard.

"I was able to get him to change back, but he's been struggling to change back into his wolf form." Bonnie explained.

"But how? It's not even a full moon." I wondered as I moved closer cautiously.

She shrugged, "he just went ballistic the moment Paul challenged him."

"Fuck!" I muttered to myself before grabbing onto Tyler. "Tyler!" I shouted for him to look at me, "Tyler, look at me." He shook his head and gave me a shove. "TYLER! CALM DOWN!" I held onto him, "Think of the night you came to me!" I pulled him closer, trying to think of how I did this before, "think of me, think of the safe places back home in Mystic Falls. Think of your mother. Remember the monster you can turn to be if you don't control this. You don't want to hurt anyone. I know you Tyler. You care too much to hurt anyone."

Try as I might; nothing seemed to be working. Everything I said, everything I done were the painful reminders of what he has been through. I was there to witness his trials and tribulations. I just couldn't seem to find a way to bring him back.

"TY!" I shouted. "You have to listen to me!"

"I'm going to kill him." Was all he growled before taking hold of Damon with one arm and twisting him under him and turning until he shoved the vampire against the tree, Stefan shoved right next to him.

While they both dropped to the ground, Caroline and Emmett went forward, only to be avoided and tossed aside. This was a side that none of us have ever witnessed, and it made me realize that Tyler's wolf was transitioning into something more, something like Paul. His anger was triggering the monster that he needed to learn to control.

I quickly held onto Bonnie's hand before we approached Tyler cautiously. His shirt was now torn off and his joggers were torn on one side. Before he could do anything else, we both took hold of him and sent numbing waves through his body, working together to calm him and the wolf that was trying to escape. Though he still shook in fury, we still held on until it seemed we were weakening him, which was until he was able to break the connection and shove Bonnie to the side.

Before he could make the move on me, I ducked and swerved under him until I took hold of his other arm, pulling him towards me until our sights met. I could only think of one thing that might work, and the predicament I was in, I had to try everything. So I did. Quickly, my hands were on his cheeks as I pulled him closer to me until my lips touched his. Rather than fight it as I hoped he wouldn't, his posture changed just as quick as his emotions. His hands were now on my waist as he pulled me in to deepen the kiss. But before he could, the spell was still put in place until he ran out of energy and fell to the forest floor.

"He'll be okay." I announced to the other as they approached.

"What the hell was that?" The blonde vampire Rose asked, "the kiss of death."

"A quick way to think." Bonnie replied as she dusted off her hands, "but are you sure that was the right thing to do?"

I stood still, a bit unsettled and feeling the guilt of my actions. I knew once Tyler woke up, he's going to want some answers. Answers I couldn't give him.

"I had no choice." I replied catching my breath. "I didn't know what else to do."

"What about Paul?" She asked.

"Where is Paul anyways?" I asked worried, "I have to see him."

"Sam, Jacob and the others had to take him away before he caused more damage." Bonnie replied.

"I have to go see him!" I took off where I noticed a trail of broken branches and such led.

"But what about Tyler?"

I didn't reply, I just kept running in the direction I was sure that the Quileute pack went. Unsure of what I was in for, I hadn't felt more of the urge to find Paul and to see if he was okay. I wasn't sure if I could help, just that I needed to see him and explain myself before shit hit the fan. But the thing was, I might have made things a lot worse.

I kissed Tyler.

How was I going to explain this to Paul without him jumping to conclusions? He was already upset with me, so how was I going to make things better when they seemed to have gotten so much worse? Would he trust me when I say that I didn't know how else to handle it, or would he turn me away for good?

As I thought about it, it scared me. I've come to realize that everything that Paul was to me, meant more than anything I had ever had. I didn't want to lose him. I wanted that chance to be his, him to be mine. It was beginning to hurt my chest to realize that I just may have broken more hearts than I could mend. I felt dirty. It was if I cheated on Paul and I wanted nothing but his forgiveness. Would he give that to me if I begged it from him?

I've been running for more than fifteen minutes, running out of breath and hope. I wasn't sure if I was even close to getting to Paul, just that I wanted to know if he was okay. That he wasn't mad at me and I could just hug him. I needed to be close to him. But I just couldn't run anymore. I was out of breath. I was gasping for air as I struggled to continue and walk sluggishly until I found myself resting on the boulder close to me.

I could feel the pounding in my ears from my heartbeat. It was pulsing faster than I had expected, and I was sweating until it drenched through my t-shirt. I pulled it off and tied it to my belt loop. I used it to wipe the sweat of my shirt and my forehead until I finally caught my breath to continue.

The cool breeze felt good as I continued my way toward the reserve. I had hoped that I was at least getting close. But the deeper I had gone into the forest, I didn't recognize where I was. If it hadn't been for the ocean, I was sure that I'd be completely lost. Then I heard it. The howls. The barks. The roars.

I stopped where I stood, listening for the direction the noises were coming from. Then I ran once again. Following what I could hear going as fast as my feet could carry me. Of course that didn't last long until I began to run short on breath again. Thankfully, one of the wolves came to my aid.

Rather than question how Seth found me, I hopped on his back as he sped through the trees. Everything was a blur except of what as in front of us. With each howl, Seth's ears perked until he stopped to respond. He knelt back and let out a quick howl and continued on until I noticed that a few of the wolves were running by our side. I wasn't sure who was who yet, but it didn't take long until we finally reached Sam's house once again. It was Embry that came racing out of the house this time in just his jean cut-offs.

"You need to follow me right away!" Embry ordered as he pulled me with him.

I knew right away where were going. Paul's house.

We followed the trail until I came to the disaster in front of me. The house was still there, but a couple windows were broken and all I could see the figures moving quickly inside. As I was about to run into the house, Embry pulled me back.

"I'm not sure that would be safe." He muttered before shouting, "He's here!"

Like a switch, everything went silent for a moment. I turned to Embry as he nodded and led me into the house. But before we could reach the steps. Sam shouted.

"STAY OUTSIDE!"

Then the thrashing continued. I panicked as I watched something fly out the window and could hear Jacob yell at Paul to calm down. Sam was doing the same, as I could hear nothing from Paul. Something was wrong, and I needed to act now. I couldn't wait for Embry to give me the okay anymore, I had to do something, so I pulled my arm away and ran into the house without thinking twice. Embry called after me.

I came to a shock to realize that Paul's house was just terrorized. Walls were busted, furniture had been tossed around, and things were all out of place.

What I saw next worried me the most.

Paul was in a rage. Sam and Jacob were fighting him to calm him, but he wasn't having it. Even Embry began to interfere whether Sam liked it or not. I'm guessing they saw it as a threat to the alpha. The more I watched, stunned, I was clueless to react until Paul seen me standing at the doorway.

"Brandon?" He shook his head.

His massive frame trembled, his eyes glued to me. The other's paused to see me standing in my spot, each unsure on how to react. I tried to steady my breathing so Paul wouldn't know that I was scared. I didn't want to fear him, but this was a reminder of what Paul was capable of, and how much pain I dealt with to get passed it.

"I-I…" he stuttered.

I didn't meant to step back; it was more of an impulse. But he saw it. I could see the hurt in his expression. The guilt. I needed to respond, so I took a step closer, cautiously as Jacob and the other's watched me intently. I put my hand up as if I was approaching an enraged monster, hoping Paul didn't take offense to it. The matter of it was that Paul had lost control, how else was I supposed to get closer to him without worrying about everyone's safety.

"It's okay." I muttered.

His gaze fell. Following my instincts, I closed the barrier between us and pulled him into my embrace. He responded by wrapping his arms around me, crying into my shoulder, as he held onto me tight, apologizing for everything. Though I couldn't understand what the apologies were for. I was the one who should be begging for forgiveness, but he was making it difficult for me.

"It's okay." I repeated as I continued to comfort him.

"I-I tried to… but I just… and…" he continued to mumble until he pause for a moment. I could feel his mood change instantly once he took a whiff of me. "Why? Why do you reek of him?"

"I-I…" it was my turn to stutter.

"His scent is all over you," he seethed; his body shook in anger again.

"Just let me explain Paul." I begged.

"Well then explain!" His voice rose, alerting Sam and Jacob.

"I had to calm him down." I argued. "Bonnie and I tried everything and nothing seemed to work… I didn't know what to do… I didn't want to do it…"

"You couldn't…" Paul glared at me, "you didn't, tell me you didn't?"

I couldn't look him in the eye. I was ashamed.

"You did!" He shouted once again.

"It didn't mean anything!" I shouted back.

"Didn't it, otherwise you wouldn't have done it in the first place!" He punched the wall, leaving a big hole. "Admit it Brandon, you still care for him. I don't mean shit to you."

"That's not true." I argued. "You mean more to me than you expect. I've been trying to think of ways I can make it up to you but…"

"AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?" He yelled.

"It's not like that Paul!" I cried out.

"WELL WHAT IS IT? BECAUSE YOU SURE HAVE A SHITTY WAY OF SHOWING IT!" He began pacing.

"How the hell am I supposed to show you how I cared when you avoided me for the past two weeks?" I argued, "I admit that I screwed up, but I didn't know how to apologize when I couldn't seem to get a word in with you."

"DON'T GO MAKING THIS MY FAULT!"

"I'M NOT!" I shouted back, frustrated and not realizing just how much I was until he walked out the door.

I followed, upset and defeated. Passing Jacob, Sam and Embry as he made his escape.

"Where are you going?" I hollered. "You can't keep running from this!"

"I'm not," He turned around, his shoulders still moving to his breathing, "but until you figure this shit out with Tyler, stay away from me. I don't want anything to do with you if you're just going to string me on."

"There's nothing going on between me and Tyler."

"Yeah," He smirked, "keep trying to tell yourself that."

He walked away.

He left me without anything else to say. I didn't know how to explain to him when he wouldn't let me. I thought that he couldn't push me away. I was his imprint; it didn't make sense. Right now, I was hoping I for once that I could use that against him and at least make him listen, but even then, I knew it wouldn't be right. I felt so defeated and exhausted. For once, I had something I had always wanted, and now somehow, I managed to push it all away.

"He'll come around." Sam approached me, his hand grasping my shoulder for comfort.

"Will he really?" I muttered, refusing to lose sight of the spot he disappeared from.

"Eventually." Jacob added.

"I thought he couldn't deny his imprint?" I muttered, "I mean, I figured at least he would give me a chance. How is it that he's pushing me away so easily?" I turned to them confused.

They all shrugged.

"Maybe I'm not." I began to wipe the tears that fell. "Maybe I was there to fill a void. I couldn't possibly be here to go through another heartbreak."

"Brandon." Jacob approached me, "if you feel it right here," he pointed at my chest above my heart, "it can only mean that he's suffering too. Paul has always been stubborn, and you're the only one I seen that has been able to deal with him."

"But is that how it's always going to be?" I turned away. "If this is how a life is promised to us, I don't want anything to do with him."

"You can't mean that B?" Embry added.

"Why not?" I more of asked myself, "If I'm constantly apologizing for my mistakes and he's allowed to treat me this way, then I'm done. I'm not fighting for a fantasy again. It's way too much."

"But you both will suffer for it." Sam said.

"I'm already suffering." I replied bluntly. "I'm not going to wait for a miracle. If he can't believe that Tyler means nothing to me anymore, than that's his loss, not mine."

"It won't end well." Jacob replied.

"I don't care." I huffed, "I just want it to end."

So I left. I didn't want to make any interactions with anyone, especially the pack. It would come up eventually of how unfair I was being, but maybe I needed another distraction. I figured I'd go find Bonnie and break the news about our plans. Once we get passed this, then maybe I could move on once again.

It was getting tiring ending up in the same predicament. Following the same footsteps as before. It was like a cycle of pain I couldn't escape.

But would I be able to run? The more I thought about it, the more it hurt. I hated to admit that Sam and Jacob could be right. It wasn't fair that I couldn't forget any of this and run. The more I ran, the quicker my past kept catching up on me.

Maybe I needed to change the way I responded to things. I needed to be heartless. I needed to be careless. Maybe it was about time I stop apologizing for the things I couldn't control and let things go as it is. If they wanted forgiveness, this time it would be mine they needed. It's definitely not fair for me taking the blame to what I couldn't control.

This time it's about me.

**A/N: Shout outs to the last reviewers, I can always count on you.****GoodbyeGreySkies****, ****Nano1354****, ****JayJayMalik****, ****agd888****, and ****rAbiDmutt03****.**

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: Blame the writer's block and lack of reviews for the chapter's pace.**

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

* * *

It was harder distracting myself more than anything. I could see it bothered both Paul and Tyler, but I wasn't giving them the time of day; no matter how much it hurt. The pain was usually eased by the thought of getting through this all without a problem.

But it seemed harder than we could've expected.

Explaining something surreal to a group of vampires and werewolves was far more difficult than either Bonnie or me expected. Where to begin was the big question because neither of us knew how. They should be able to understand, but if we weren't sure,

"We asked to speak to you two first because we figured that you might be more understanding of what we have to say." Bonnie explained to Carlisle and Sam.

They both stood patiently, stern expressions as they both leaned on the desk and recliner.

"The visions we've been telling you about?" The both nodded, "well, as you know, we had to wait for it to develop into something that might be helpful, turns out it did."

"Or at least we believe so." Bonnie added.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle questioned.

"Well…" Bonnie continued, "the figures that appeared were those close to us, and some of the pack."

"My pack?" Sam questioned.

We nodded. "The first was Elena, that we understood, then Jacob, then Paul."

"None of it was making sense from then because Jacob and Paul were there to protect us from some sort of monster." I added with a quick breath.

"What kind of monster?" Sam asked.

"That we are unsure of," Bonnie replied, "but after we discovered that Jacob was searching for his imprint, things seemed to get a little more complicated."

"That was until the imprint Paul had on me kind of came forward as example. We believe the reason Paul was there to protect me was the hint of something we might had to do."

"I'm not following?" Carlisle looked at us puzzled.

"Well… we didn't either," Bonnie said, "but after evaluating the whole thing, we come to realize that there was a reason their imprint was on display." They stared, "It's a possibility that we might have to break another imprint."

"Who's?" Sam spoke up alert.

"Please, calm down Sam," I approached him, "just listen."

"Well I want to know who will be affected."

"We can only theorize on it." Bonnie explained, "and I'm not sure if either of you heard of this. But in the vision, we were being chased by some sort of monster, and its first targets were Jacob and his imprint."

"But why?" Sam asked.

"Because they were its parents." Carlisle stared shocked. Sam stared at Carlisle in confusion. "Some believed them to be related to the lycant's side of their breed, but after realizing just how much they terrorized society, they were truly defined as monsters. The kill for sport, and can become very talented hunters when they do need to feed."

"But why kill Jacob and Renesmee?" Sam asked.

"To prove that they're heartless." Carlisle shrugged.

"There's never a single one born at one time." Bonnie added, "If we're correct, the hybrid could possibly birth two to three of the most deadliest creatures known to mankind."

"This has happened before?" Sam asked. I observed.

"Two or three times," Carlisle replied, "I've only witnessed one encounter though."

"How and where?" Bonnie asked.

"The Rockies." He stated as he pulled down the map and showed us the map if BC Canada, pointing at the spot, "She adapted to the environment and fed off of the villages and animals nearby. She wasn't much of a problem until she would savagely kill for sport and targeted the children."

"What happened?" I asked this time.

"Like any other time, we had to unite with a few other supernatural beings that we knew." Carlisle paused. "A witch from the south joined us with her coven of three and a pack from northern British Columbia assisted me and a couple of the Volturi guard."

"How come none of this is really documented?" Bonnie asked, "I myself had to do some heavy researching to come across something like this."

"Because we all agreed that our alliance shouldn't be spoken of at the time, especially noted that the wolves would soon dispose of our kind without question."

"It doesn't make much sense." I shook my head.

"If it weren't for the wolves and their alpha, we wouldn't have been able to stand against the creature." Carlisle replied frustrated. "With their heightened senses, they could smell her from anywhere. We would help as the strengths and gifts that we carried. The witches were capable of spells and curses. "

"So how did you guys take her down?"

"Strategy." He replied simply, "when she attacked, we used one of our guard duplication abilities to throw her off guard just as the pack snuck in to at least injure her. Did I mention that she had wings?"

"Wings?" We asked in unison.

"As I mentioned, they adapt to the environment around them, and she needed to fly to her nest hidden in the mountains." Carlisle explained, "when she attacked, she face us with such brutality, taking lives with her. If it wasn't for my strengths and one of the witches' wit, we would have never won that battle." He paused for a moment, sitting deep in thought, "I threw her in the monsters path and she used an element spell that ended up taking her life as well."

"How the hell did this all happen anyways?" Sam asks frustrated.

"Every now and then, these monsters were created for protection purposes." Carlisle explained, "another experiment gone wrong, one that had almost destroyed us and mankind. Like the one we destroyed, they adapted to their environments, killed everything in its path and cause nothing but havoc. Almost by laws, our laws, these things shouldn't be created."

"But if you guys break the imprint, we can avoid all of this?" Sam asked.

Carlisle looked at us expressionless.

"It's possible." Bonnie nodded. "And we could probably put this to good purpose if we do this right."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked.

"You want to transfer the imprint." Sam stated.

We both nodded.

"But how?" Carlisle asked, "and how does this affect my granddaughter?"

"If we do this right, no one will be harmed." Bonnie replied.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I've done it before." I replied, "from the moment I arrived, I always felt that there was an unbalanced energy here, and I thought it was Paul in the beginning. When I broke the imprint, I thought it was complete until he imprinted on me."

"So Paul's imprint on you is a hoax of some sort?" Carlisle asked.

"I thought so at first, but the binds that hold us together are far much stronger than the one before and just as powerful as the bind Sam has on Emily." I looked at Sam for a moment. "Just like them, if I were to paint an image, it would be as if we were connected to our mates through our veins. Like our bodies were synced."

"Well isn't that how Jacob is connected to Renesmee?" Carlisle asked.

"That I couldn't see." I admitted. "When I came to help Paul, metaphorically, his wolf was practically trapped and chained to Rachel's spirit; with no connection. One I broke those, they were free, and somehow his wolf seeked me out and made that connection with me instead."

"I still don't really understand, but I do have faith in your plan." Carlisle said. "I'm just concerned about what happens to her once the link is severed."

"Well…" Bonnie sighed. "If we can do this right, than maybe we can crisscross the connections that I have with Elena and Jacob has with her. Which means my friend Elena would hopefully come back when we transfer it and Jacob would be connected to me."

"You're willing to become Jacob's imprint?" Sam asked.

I held onto her hand. "I'm not sure what I'm ready for, but I know I will do anything to save my best friend, and if that means I have to become an imprint, I think I can live with that."

"But they have to be okay with this though." I added. "Which is why we were hoping that you could explain this to them and everyone."

"We could try." Sam shrugged.

"We really don't have a choice." Carlisle finally moved. "Bonnie? Brandon? Do what you need to make preparations and keep us updated." He called Sam, "Sam, speak to the pack and explain this to them. Something tells me that Jacob is going to be the hardest to convince."

The next couple days were hectic to say the least. Carlisle was correct when he said it would take an effort to convince Jacob to go forward with our plan. In fact, I think the man was still unsure of it. But he wasn't the only one. Everyone's been calling my powers a fluke now. It didn't really matter that I saved Paul's life in their eyes anymore, in fact, it seemed the entire pack was a bit pissed off with me.

Now I was making Paul miserable, and I didn't know how to fix it.

I was in pain too. That didn't mean that they cared either. Bonnie has been my support mostly. The others have been too stuck in their worlds to give a shit. As far as they were concerned, I was the one to blame because Tyler still hovered.

For once, Tyler has decided to give me space. He hasn't bothered me to talk, neither has

Paul. I felt alone most of the time and it frustrated me. I couldn't concentrate most of the times. Bonnie has been bugging me to focus because she needed me, but when I can't remember exactly how I done it the first time, I wasn't sure if we could pull it off again.

"You have to try." Bonnie reminded me.

"What do you think I'm doing?" I replied annoyed, "it wasn't that easy the first time because I didn't know what I was doing."

"There had to be a trigger." She suggested.

"I was angry most of the time. Lost. Hurt. A bit disoriented. I wasn't myself." I sighed as I looked at her. "I-I-I wanted to hurt someone."

"You mean Paul?"

"No," I turned and stared at the floor, "Tyler. I wanted to get even with Tyler, and Paul reminded me so much of him that I wanted to be…" I hadn't realized that I was crying by then, "I needed to be loved. I needed to find my place. I just wanted to take that anger out on Paul 'cause I hated that, that's how love felt to me. I just didn't think that he would actually fall in love with me."

"Does he love you?" She asked.

"Tyler?"

"NO! Paul?"

"He said he does." I shrugged. "In the beginning he said he wanted to be with me, that he felt something for me, that he would promise never to hurt me."

"Just like Tyler." She muttered, figuring she understood how I felt. "Now they're both making you feel like shit."

"Yeah." I chuckled embarrassed, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "For once, I don't know what to do with myself other than loathe and pity myself for being an idiot."

"Well stop." She interrupted. "You never let anyone get to you this badly. They're making you soft B, if I have to be a bitch to tell you this, then I will. I love you Brandon, but this self-loathing is getting old. Get back on your feet and lets get this."

"You're right." I muttered, shaking it off. "I let it all get to me. Elena needs us."

It was time to head over the Cullens. We promised that once we figured something out, we'd meet with them and the pack, and since Elena and the others would never be allowed to be near the reservation, the location was settled at the Cullen's home. Which meant, those who were meant to be present, would be there while the others would stay close by just in case something happened.

I stayed silent the whole trip there, soaking in Bonnie's words and taking her advice to finally do me. As much as my head and heart playing with me, my decision would be that they would apologize to me. I was just such a pushover that I was always the first.

"Everything will be okay." Bonnie assured.

I nodded. "I know, I just want to make sure I can get through all of this."

"We will." She nodded.

"I know, but we are risking a lot just for this, which means that we have to do this right the first try."

"Which is why I have faith in you B," She grabbed my hand, "you know we can't do this without each other." I nodded. "We always find a way."

"It's the recovery I'm worried about, especially if Jacob does imprint on you in the end." I admitted.

"Yeah, I figured too." She sighed, "I've seen how the wolves treat their imprints, and the beginning is supposed to be tough."

"It is." I admitted. "I could never understand why Paul saw me the way he had. Then easily blaming me for everything that went wrong. I had a past, and he acts like he's supposed to be the first for everything."

"Well if Jacob thinks he's going to be controlling with me, he's in for a rude awakening." We both laughed.

The thing was, I knew Bonnie would stick to her words. She was never one to be controlled, and she would never let anyone make decisions for her. Sometimes her independence bothered me to a certain point. It made her stubborn.

"Does it scare you?" I asked her.

"What?" She glanced at before looking back at the road, "the imprint?"

"Yeah?"

"Of course it does." She admitted, "I'm walking into this blindly Brandon. I don't know who Jacob is, and frankly, I would've liked the chance to get to know him before all of this, but we don't have the time. Besides, his girl doesn't seem to pleased with where I stand as well. She wouldn't let me near him the second we mentioned our plan."

"I though they said she was okay with this?" I asked.

"No, she's not." She shrugged, "she thinks I'm using this as an excuse to take Jacob away from her."

Say what they want, but I still had to grasp my mind around an imprint altogether. I get the fact that once a wolf imprints, they find their soul mate, someone to love and dedicate their lives to, someone to carry on their legacy. Then there's me, and there's Renesmee. Both inadequate companions for any wolf, two individuals can in no way fulfill their needs. I couldn't bare a child for Paul, and Renesmee shouldn't bare one for Jacob.

By the time we reached the Cullen manor, I couldn't get my head clear. I didn't want to be here, but I was needed.

The eyes. They watched both Bonnie and I as if we were prisoners being escorted to our cell. Each stare wasn't friendly, more concerned and upset than anything. They didn't see us as good people. I could feel it. I didn't blame them either. Who could you trust when we were seen as a threat to one of their family members. We were here only for our benefit. The only one who seemed to understand was Dr. Carlisle –maybe it was because he's witnessed the outcome of all of this. It was a risk we were all taking.

Dr. Carlisle and his wife led us to the ceremonial site that Bonnie and few of the others have set up for the occasion. The fact that I wasn't here bothered most of them because of it. But I couldn't face everyone knowing that I was practically loathed. Why would they be okay with it?

But here we were.

In the center laid one of our friends; Bonnie and Caroline's best friend. Instead of the casket that Elena used to lay rested, was replaced by the bed of branches and blankets in the center. Damon, Stefan and Caroline watched intently as we both entered the circle. Edward and Bella both stood next to Renesmee and Jacob across from us. Candles on tall stands stood around us lit, revival medicines were placed close by in case of an emergency. Water had been placed next to the medicines in as well. Everything seemed to be set that I missed the first time.

"You're questioning your abilities." Edward addressed me, bringing everyone's focus to me.

"I do." I admitted. "But who wouldn't? I can only do my best."

"We can only do our best." Bonnie corrected.

"But will your best be enough?" Jacob spoke, still holding onto his imprint.

I paused in thought as I watched the two. The thing was, I could see that the man adored the woman standing next to him, but I could also feel the disadvantages of it. The wrongness. The blind side of it all, a love forced against their will. Something that I thought what Paul and me had, but the fact was, I missed Paul. I could only wish that he were here with me.

It made me wonder just how stubborn a shifter could be. Would Jacob treat Bonnie the same if it came down to it. Could we go with broken hearts if that's all they were going to give us? Were we destined to suffer to make sure that everything was going to be okay?

"It's all we have." I spoke up. All eyes on me again. "It's all we can hope for. Look, I k now that none of you are too happy with this decision, especially knowing the struggles you've overcome to get here, but there's just a little bit more that we need to fix."

"But we're not broken." Renesmee whimpered.

"No you're not." I replied, "but you're doomed to a life you will wish you could have, a future that will destroy not only you, but also everyone around you. We can no longer risk that knowing that history is about to repeat itself."

"This time it could be different." Bella added hopefully.

"Then why were we led here?" Bonnie spoke, "I strongly believe that there was a reason Brandon came her in the first place. We believe in fate, and this is it. Because Brandon was able to save one your pack brothers Jacob, we can now find a way to change a brutal fate you could face."

"We're not punishing any of you." I interrupted. "We're just taking a different route so that everyone could live the lives they were supposed to." I looked at Renesmee, "you can't possibly expect Jacob to shift for eternity just to stay next to you, and this type of magic will eventually take its toll on him. It fades when you longer become a threat. Holding onto it will take effort as the days pass until one day he wont be able to, then he dies, and you'll want to follow him."

"That's a lie!" Jacob shouted, holding onto Renesmee tighter.

"He's right Jacob." Dr. Carlisle said. "The shifter gene awakens when they feel threatened, when they are needed to protect those around them. Eventually, your trust for us will overcome your power to be who you are and fade. You'll become human and age faster than you'd hope."

"Will Renesmee recover from this?" Edward questioned.

"Eventually." I replied, "as the connection severs from Jacob, she'll soon feel the disconnection until it soon fades. She will find another to love."

"I still don't like this." Jacob clenched his jaw, staring down at his imprint. "I was sure I would never find the love of my life, and now you're saying even this is a mistake."

"Sometimes you have to love to let go." By surprise, Tyler approached the circle without much of us knowing.

"What are you doing here…" Bonnie asked before I could until she was interrupted.

"Just hear me out." Tyler spoke again. "Sure whatever you feel in you heart might hurt at first, and you'd probably fight to keep it." He stared at me just as Jacob glanced over at me then back to Tyler. "But sometimes fighting it just makes it worse. You begin to hurt the people around you, but mostly the person you love. You begin to doubt it. You begin to make excuses and reasons of why you deserve to be where you are. But it's always going to be a reason you can never explain. I'd give anything to have what they're giving you. Someone else to love. Someone else to help you pick up the pieces that you shattered. Don't hold onto something that's only going to eventually hurt you."

I couldn't even look at him for the fear I'd break down. But I wasn't about to apologize for finally fighting for me. I wasn't about to run back into his arms especially when it wasn't his arms I wanted to run to.

"Bonnie'll take care of you." He smirked at her, "Nessie will find another, someone like her."

Rather than responding, or wiping the tear that fell down his cheek, he nodded and whispered to his imprint. With whatever sanity I had, I glanced over to Tyler to see him give me a half-smile before leaving to who-knows-where.

"I think it's time we leave." Carlisle informed the others just as they followed. Edward with Bella and Esme not far behind her husband.

Bonnie and I stood by each other as the couple finished their discussion, Elena still lay peacefully in the center as Damon, Stefan and Caroline left reluctantly. I took a deep breath and realized that I only wanted one thing, and that was for Paul to be standing next to me, and the thing was, I hadn't a clue just where he might be. It bothered me knowing that I was hurting because of this, and I hadn't a clue if he was suffering just as much. Did he even care that this could be the last chance we have to see each other? This could take a lot of my power and strength.

"What do we do?" Jacob spoke up, approaching the center where Elena laid. Renesmee next to him with tears falling down her face.

"You grab my hand." Bonnie reached out where she stood, Jacob moves slowly and reluctantly and grabbed onto Bonnie's hand.

"What about me?" Renesmee asked unsure, upset of what just had happened.

"You will grab onto Elena's hand." I informed her. "With the connections we're attempting to make, it only makes sense that you remain in contact with that person the entire time. I shall continue to recite the chants with Bonnie until the portals start opening and our minds begin connecting."

"Are you okay B?" Bonnie asked me, I wouldn't doubt that she knew I was bothered by now.

I gave a sigh before nodding, "just…" I looked up at her, "just tell Paul that… tell 'em I still love him, and I hope that I get through this."

"You will." She rubbed my hand, "you've done this alone before, with my help, this should be easier."

"Just tell him." I looked at her hopeful.

"I will." She replied.

I knew she wanted to say more, and I'm glad she hadn't. The thing was, it could be possible that something may go wrong through the process; we just had to hope for the best once we got to the point.

"You ready?" I asked each of them, all nodding reluctantly. I nodded and began chanting as Bonnie joined in.

I closed my eyes and began to picture the place where I needed to go, or at least somewhere close to it. Each vision needed to be connected and my first task was to make sure that we all were there before we moved forward. As the chanting became louder, our powers seemed to heighten to the point where I could feel it rotate through the circle. The energy began to slowly pull me to each pairing, my hands grew cold from the touch, my body already started feel as if the energy was slowly draining, and all I could see was the blankness of nothings. Then the blurry visions of a place that I began to know more than I liked. The realm of what seemed to be lost souls, where each one went when they were unsure where they were supposed to be.

And just like that; my eyes flickered open until I could see the darkness that surrounded us.

A forest so dark and haunted with loneliness, images that would seem to come from Stephen King's imagination, a place abandoned for the nobodies. Even though the fog cleared, everything still remained. Not even a moon to show that there might be some source of life here.

"Where are we?" Jacob's voice broke out, "what's going on?"

He was tied down. Chains binding him to the girl next to him, rusted and almost broken from the years of misjudgment, hackles rusted around both of their wrists, dangled mostly on Jacob's body.

"I was right." I muttered.

"What do you mean you were right?" Renesmee asked, panicking.

"The chains, that's exactly how Paul and Rachel were attached to each other, imprisoned in chains to stay close." I picked up the heavy piece; "These chains would never break on their own, but only consume you until at least one of you broke it by betraying one another."

"How do you know this?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know. But I can see it." I admitted as the visions began to flash.

"I can see them too." Bonnie admitted. "They were only tightening over the years. We have no choice but to break them before it harms both of you."

"They do hurt." Renesmee lifted her wrists, cringing as they stung her, "I'm starting to think they're right Jake."

"Me too." He looked down at the cuffs on his ankles, "they're much heavier than I imagined."

"You have to break them." I looked at Bonnie. "I'm only here to connect Renesmee with Elena once your connection is made with Jacob."

"But how?" She asked.

"I don't know." I shrugged, "I used a sword like tool only because that was the only thing available at the moment. Time runs short, so we have to figure this out."

It was Bonnie's idea to take a look around to see if we could find something to break the chains, but nothing seemed to be working. With time being limited, I knew we didn't have much, and the more I thought about it, I couldn't think of why I was able to break Paul's chains. Until it clicked. I provoked his wolf. His wolf didn't like the fact that I was there to break the bond, and then the blade appeared.

"Grab the chain Bonnie!" I turned to her, she gave me a confused expression before slowly walking back to the couple. "If Jacob's wolf realizes you're trying to break the bond, it will provoke him to shift, then the tools you need should appear."

"Are you sure?" She looked at me a bit worried.

"Yes, definitely."

"But I could hurt her once I phase." Jacob argued.

"Not if Bonnie knows what she's doing." I assured them, "I'll keep a protection shield up around Elena as long as I can, which means that you'll be on your own with this."

"But I'm not sure if I can do this Brandon!" She said panicked.

"You have to, we don't have much time." She looked at me hesitantly. "NOW GRAB THE CHAIN AND START CHANTING!"

As she lifted the chain, I surrounded Elena with whatever power I could summon. I could barely keep track of what was going on around me other than the roars of Jacob's wolf and the struggles from Bonnie. I had faith in her, I knew if I could face Paul with the same fate, so could she. But only time would really tell. I was getting weaker and I was beginning to worry. I didn't know what was going on, and it seemed to take longer than I expected. And as I was sure that something might be wrong with Bonnie, I could feel the hands on my shoulder, a voice calling me out to come back. As if I was being shaking out of a coma of some sort, I was met with the worried expressions of Renesmee.

"BRANDON? BRANDON?" She cried out.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I panicked as I noticed it was just her.

"I don't know. I don't know." She panicked, holding her hands through her hair, tears falling down her cheeks. "One minute they were fighting and Jacob surrounded me to protect me, then all of the sudden she slashed the chains with and axe like weapon. Then they… then they…"

"What is it Renesmee?"

"Then they latched onto each other." She looked bothered. "It looked horrid, like veins came out of their bodies and latched onto each other."

"Then what happened?"

"I don't know," she sobbed, "they just disappeared into thin air."

"We don't have much time then." I replied as I grabbed her hand again. "I have to get you connected to Elena before all is lost."

"But wait!" She tried pulling back, "does this mean? Does this mean I'll be her mate?"

"No. No, it doesn't." I pulled her to Elena and placed her hand on hers, "if I'm correct, you'll be attached like a sisterhood. When you die, so does she."

I continued to explain as I continued with the ritual.

"Would I die if she does?" She asked.

"No, but you'd be a great help if you can help my friend, so please." I begged her, "please do this for us."

"But…"

"Renesmee. I don't have much time, all I can promise you is that you'd be doing all of us a great favor by doing this. Nothing else would be expected of you." I begged as I realized the portals were close to closing. "Now please, hurry."

"Fine, okay, I'll do it." She replied as she held onto Elena's hands.

I placed mine on top of hers and began to recite the spells I knew, chanting until I could feel the power over take me. I was being drained, and I was sure that this might be too much for me, but that hadn't stopped me from continuing on.

Waves of energy began to build as they flown through us, power and energy building momentum until I could feel it race through our bodies.. My head began to pulse, pain building until I could hear a snap, then a pop. It was that moment I realized that I just might have overdone it.

Just as I used the last bit of my strength to open my eyes, I could see that both Elena and Renesmee were no longer there, and I was alone in this nightmare.

I collapsed.

**A/N: As always, thanks to the few reviewers keeping this story slowly going ****GoodbyeGreySkies****, ****rAbiDmutt03****, ****JayJayMalik****.**

**I hope the pace is going okay with you, I can assure you that the next chapter, Paul will have a lot to think about and a lot of rude awakenings… just keep rooting for him.**

**Much Love, **

**TurnItUp03**


	18. Chapter 17

**D: Disclaimer**

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Chapter Seventeen

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**~*~*~Tyler~*~*~**

You know when they say that you don't know how good you have it until it's gone? It took me more than losing someone to realize that. Twice really. Yet, I still hadn't clued in that I couldn't hold onto that one person with just my looks and cockiness. I mean shit, it's always worked, and it's all I really knew. I didn't know what love was or what it meant until I figured out that I that it passed me without even knowing it.

Ever since puberty, things have been great for me. Except for the fact that I had to deal my dad and his obsessive ways of making me like who he was, which the apple didn't fall far from the tree. I say this because I lost my virginity to some slut in school I can't even remember the name of. I was thirteen, and I had a cock she was obsessed with. When the word spread, I couldn't seem to keep them off of me. Shit, I even took a couple blow-jobs from a couple twinks when I felt like it. But even that shit was getting old. I wanted and needed something that I had no clue of. At first, I thought that something came in the form of Vicki Donavan.

I was a bit obsessed over the fact that everyone guy wanted her and I was the only one she was chasing. That and the fact it made the other girls more persistent on getting with me. I cheated, more than once. But that's just the shit I always did. I didn't care either because I was always looked at as the bad guy. I figured, why not put up the front if everyone else wanted to treat me like shit.

But then there was Brandon. Shit, I didn't know about him until the last couple years of high school before he showed up on my radar. That was before I became a werewolf and I started figuring things out.

The first time I met Brandon really was through Bonnie, and if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have changed my ways a little. I even started talking to Jeremy Gilbert because Brandon said he wasn't that bad. But even then, shit still wasn't great because Jeremy and I still bumped heads and everyone became more involved, including Brandon.

That's when everything really came to light, and I found about the Salvatore brothers and what they really were. They were the reason I was showing symptoms, and they were the reason I was more pissed off then I usually was. I hated them. But everyone seemed to ignore the fact that they were killing machines.

I didn't even know in the beginning why I hated it even more that Brandon associated with them, just that I didn't want him near him, especially after they killed Vicki and put everyone else through hell. So I kept Brandon closer than anyone else. I forced him into believing that I gave a damn about him when in fact I really did. I never knew what it was about him, just that I wanted him close. I needed him close. I tried brushing it off by sleeping around still, hell even dating Caroline just to keep my thoughts straight. But that didn't work either.

I fell for him and I wouldn't admit it. When the time came where I actually accidentally killed a girl, I knew my fate, and so did a few others, including Brandon. It was his idea to keep me locked in the cells below the Lockwood estate to keep from harming others, but when the time came and my uncle Mason explained that nothing could hold me back, I sort of made things worse between Brandon and me.

I almost killed him for getting in my way. I hurt several others on the way as well, but nothing compared to how I felt when Brandon refused to talk to me after that. That was until I came begging for his forgiveness when I wasn't even aware of it. I just woke up naked below his window one night and he let me in. That's when I let my emotions get in the way and I found myself seducing my best friend.

I was embarrassed over it after that. I tried to convince him to keep in on the down low, but even then I didn't know that he was gay and out of the closet. That and the fact that he was not just a teenage boy in this town either. I knew Bonnie was a witch, but to find out he was one too, it bothered me. I didn't want him to be part of this life of chaos. He didn't deserve it, so I pushed him away.

I went back to my old ways and ignored the hell out of him, even though he insisted we talk, I still treated him like shit. I didn't want him knowing that I still cared for him. I was giving him false hope that we could one day be something he wanted us to be. I couldn't commit myself to him when I wasn't even sure I wanted to be with another man. I ran questions through my head like crazy. I always thought I was straight.

Even though I could see that broke him in some way, I couldn't find it in me to apologize to him. As much as I wanted to say fuck it all, I didn't want to go back to where we were.

Then my world turned to shit.

Through one of the many episodes we were dealing with, the Klaus and his band of idiots came strolling into town. While I was fighting of becoming one of his slaves, I had no clue that Brandon had his own disagreements with the man. I was too late to step in when Klaus figured out that I had some sort of admiration for Brandon, the same way he had. Since Brandon refused that man what he wanted, he killed him right in front of all of us. One snap of the neck and that was what I thought was the end of Brandon Call.

I gave in practically. Not giving a shit if Klaus was becoming more powerful that we wanted him to be. Around that time, Bonnie left because she needed time to grieve over her cousin. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. As much as I thought about him, the more I realized I missed him, and the more I realized that I needed to get out of this mess. I needed to avenge Brandon in some way, and that either meant that I get myself killed trying, or I figure out a way to break the bond Klaus had over me.

When I escaped, I found a pack of wolves that were willing to help me fight the ties between me and my hybrid side, and that meant that power Klaus had over me. I've been gone from Mystic Falls for more than a year before I was able to come home and get my life back together. When I was able to phase when I pleased, Klaus had no control, and neither did the others. In fact, they all left without no purpose to be here, especially since Elena was changed.

Something else changed too when I was gone.

To my surprise, it was as if I seen a ghost. I wasn't prepared to come back to Mystic Falls and see Brandon Call alive and walking in my path once again. But there he was, behind Bonnie when they arrived for founder's ball. I practically shit my pants once I realized that it really was him. For the first time, I noticed just how beautiful he really was as he walked in with his suit and tie, smiling and nodding at Caroline when he approached her to dance.

Imagine how pissed I was to see that. But I hid every emotion. I didn't want everyone knowing how I still felt about the man standing across the room from me.

Not long after that, things seem to get weird, and I hated it. Brandon wouldn't acknowledge me or even look at me. A lot of the times I did see him, he was with Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena, and at the moment I wasn't on any of their list of favorite people. Well, except for Caroline. In a way, I figured at least I would see how things went if we gave it a whirl.

That was a mistake. She was a vampire, stubborn one at that, and she constantly went against everything I would say or do. I wasn't used of her doing things her way all of the time now. It drove me crazy. It was nothing but sex with her, and at first I didn't care. But after finding out that she had something with Klaus too, I was annoyed, so I dumped her.

At the time, I didn't know that what I had with Caroline bothered Brandon until I realized they were no longer speaking to each other.

Things went from bad to worse around that time when Bonnie and Damon were caught in some sort of time portal. It took weeks for Brandon to get his best friend back along with Mystic Fall's trouble maker. But with Brandon's effort, he was able to restore things back to normal, but with consequences. Too much power claimed the life of him once again.

None of us could prepare for the loss, and most of us wanted to blame the ungrateful Damon Salvatore for it. Shit he didn't seem to give a damn at the time, mainly because he didn't want anyone knowing just how much he care for Brandon. Strangely, Damon was grateful for the man and secretly looked at him as more like a brother, something Brandon would undoubtly be disgusted by. It was a known fact that Brandon still loathed the Salvatore brothers for what they had done to his parents.

A memorial was held for him not too long after.

That's when I felt that it was time for me to come clean. It came to the open when I admitted that I was in fact in love with Brandon Call. I couldn't do anything to let him know how I felt.

I was never pitied. I didn't expect it, but still, everyone seemed to give me the cold shoulder. As clueless as I was, most of them were aware of how much Brandon cared about me, and wondered when I was ever going to admit it. Everyone had nothing but shit to give me when it came down to it. Most felt I deserved to feel the pain and the hurt I put Brandon through. Caroline voiced out on how big of a coward I was.

But she was right, I waited until I lost him before I admitted that I needed him.

With all that shit going down, bad went to worse when evil by the name of Kai came into town. In fact, he came here when Brandon brought Bonnie and Damon back. Kai was in fact impressed that Brandon could do the one thing he couldn't, and seeked out the power that Brandon could have possibly left behind. That and the power of coven's line he desperately needed. Once he killed them, he would gain the ability to become practically unstoppable.

Little did any of us know, Bonnie still had something up her sleeve? With Brandon's efforts, he lost everything that practically defined him. We didn't know that Bonnie and her grandmother was able to revive him. But because of it, he had to start all over.

Since we had no clue that Brandon was somewhere across the country regaining his strength, we were left facing Kai and his evil ways. We were beginning to lose hope until I found out from Bonnie that Brandon was still alive. She let it slip that he was visiting family and that he was helping someone else with problem.

Problem or not, I knew we needed him. I needed him. I needed to see him. I wanted to know if he was okay. I wanted to see his face again. So, I did what I figured I could do best, track him. I grabbed one of his old shirts that I knew was his, and luckily his scent was still on it, feint but still there.

I left at that moment and began tracking him. It took at least three days until I my senses began to lead me in the direction of Seattle. It was then I knew I was getting closer. I wasn't sure of why, just that I knew I had to follow my instincts until I came across a small town called Forks. It was then I realized he was there, his scent lingered, but I couldn't really tell where to go from there.

That's when the other's caught me up. I figured that they were there to stop me, but after realizing that we all needed Brandon to take on Kai, we decided to find him and bring him home. Strangely, at that moment, I could feel as if he needed me. Without question, I phased and began running into the direction I felt. I ran and I ran until I came in sight of him, but he wasn't alone. He was running, and I knew exactly from what the moment I could smell the tinge of the mutt that came running towards me.

I fought the wolf with all my might until I got the advantage. With all of our efforts, and Brandon being injured, we were able to get him out of there to take him home and revive him. Thankfully that didn't take as long as we had hoped.

The moment he woke, I wanted to talk to him, but the others weren't too keen on letting me. They were still pissed, and so was Brandon. The more I tried to apologize, Brandon kept telling me it was too late. The shitty thing about it was, it really did feel like I was too late. It really felt like I had lost him, and I didn't know why.

It didn't take long for me to find out. He was imprinted on. I only heard of the type of bond and how strong it was, but I never thought I would lose someone to it. Still, I didn't believe it a hundred percent because I still wanted to believe that Brandon cared for me just as much as I had to him. Yet, it felt as if I was nowhere on his radar.

When Kai sprung his attack on us, I still wasn't strong enough to take him down alone. He was hurting Brandon, and I wanted nothing but to kill Kai in order to protect Brandon. I needed to prove to Brandon that I cared for him, that I needed him in my life, that I loved him. I was ready to die for him just to prove that.

But then they came. His savior, and my biggest enemy.

Never have I ever loathed another man the way I did with Paul Lahote.

Him and his pack came swooping in with practically no effort and took Kai out as if he was nothing but a fly to swat. One by one, each wolf came crashing through, tearing the witch-man limb by limb, shredding him into pieces and burning what remained.

I could no longer fight, but they took him. They took Brandon from me that day because they believed that he still belonged to their pack mate. I could see the admiration, and it pissed me off. No one from then on was allowed to touch Brandon other than him.

I've never been more possessive in my life.

I wasn't letting things go that easily, Even though I was told to stay, I refused to. I followed and made sure that Paul knew I wasn't just going to give up on the love of my life.

It was a fight I was willing to win if it meant that Brandon and I could finally be together.

Still, shit turned to shit. I was still being pushed away by everyone, and begged to leave because I no longer belonged. I couldn't. Try as I might, I wasn't about to leave Brandon in their hands. Then there was that kiss. The one I wanted to taste since the last… the one that no longer felt like mine.

As I fought and fought, it was beginning to come clear that Brandon would never belong to me. I tried watching from the sidelines. I even had hope the moment Paul pushed Brandon away that Brandon would come back to me, but even Brandon still didn't want anything to do with me, in fact, he begged me to go.

Call me stubborn, I stayed. I watched with my heart breaking day by day until I finally accepted that Brandon was longer mine. He belonged to a wolf that didn't seem to give a shit.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Didn't we tell you to leave?" I could see the man was pissed.

"Wait! Hold up, I'm not here to start shit!" I fended myself, standing my ground as the two other stood next to him.

"Then what the hell do you want?" Paul glared me down. For once I was face to face with the man I wanted nothing but to pulverize, and yet all I could do was pity the fool.

"I'm just wondering why the hell you're still here and not with Brandon?"

"What I do with Brandon is none of you fucking business!" He cursed, "don't you get it, Brandon doesn't want you around."

"Don't you get how big of an idiot you are?"

"Don't test me Lockwood!"

"Look Lahote, as much as I want to show you how pissed off I can get," the man mocked with a laugh, "there's some other shit you need to know."

"Whatever it is you got to say," he moved closer, trying to intimidate me, "I don't want to hear any of your shit."

"See that's what I fucking mean dude, you don't listen," I brushed it off and moved away, "you don't get it. Brandon won't stick around, he doesn't play mind-games. Imprint or not, he'll leave your ass too."

"Fuck off!" He glared.

"No, because you're the only fool that can really save Brandon right now." I seethed, he looked shocked. "If you're not careful, you're going to lose Brandon for good, and you'll be in the same boat is it to me."

"What the hell do you care anyways?"

"Just listen to him Paul." One of his friends spoke.

"Shut up Quil." Paul replied annoyed.

"I don't give a shit about you, but I'm doing this for Brandon because he deserves so much more." I paused, "it took losing him more than once to realize it."

"What are you getting at?"

"Brandon's performing the ritual with Bonnie tonight."

"I know, I heard." He said in a cocky tone.

"You don't get it." I said annoyed, "there's a chance that he could be overdoing again, and when he takes hold of such power, there's a big chance that he just might not come back."

"Then why the hell would they let him do it?" He asked angry, more of addressing me.

"Because you know yourself that Brandon is selfless." I reminded him, "he did it for you, and look where that put him –in the hospital practically if it hadn't been for Bonnie saving him."

"Well Bonnie will be there?" It sounded like he was trying to come up with his own solutions.

"But she's a part of the ritual this time." I added, "her power would be focused on the transfer of Jacob's bond to her, Brandon's focus will be on all of them."

"How do you know this? How can you be sure?"

Before I could answer, we could feel a shift in the atmosphere. We watched as Paul clutched onto his chest and slowly fell to his knees, screaming in agony. The two other's watched in fear as their pack mate seemed to slowly fall a part in front of them. I knew one thing was for sure…

"You're too late." I shook my head in disbelief. "You're too late, Brandon's either gone or you did something to break that tie you have on him."

"Shut up Tyler!" Paul shrieked, still holding onto his chest before collapsing to the floor.

"He's about to phase." Quil shouted, "get him outside!"

In a few seconds, his clothes shredded as he crawled across the floor. His body began to pulse through, his frame changing and growing as he cried out in pain. In place of his coppery skin slowly changed into the silver fur that soon covered his entire body. In the bling of an eye, Paul had phased into his wolf. We watched as he reached the outside, landing with a big thud before letting out a eerie howl –a cry that sent shivers down my back. I knew that cry, I made that cry more than once. His wolf was in pain.

Just like that, he disappeared in the tree-line faster than any of us could catch him.

For the first time, I had hoped that the man could do something.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to handle losing Brandon again.

Even if his heart no longer belonged to me.


	19. Chapter 18

**D: Disclaimed**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

* * *

I couldn't feel a thing. Only if I moved. Or tried to move.

Suddenly; I felt cold. My breaths were visible, and my bones felt the chill. It hurt to shiver. My muscles were tender as it seems. My body was immobile. I've never felt this way before. It made me feel so helpless. Incapable. Useless.

I wanted to cry –or scream. Anything to get anyone to hear me, but even so, I knew myself that I was here alone. I worried that I might be stuck here. Meddling with death so many times and entering the spirit realm more than I should, it could be possible that I may be here for my final visit.

It sort of made sense. I've done more damage than good or bad. I've mocked death more than once and come back to tell my friends about it. What better place to put other than nowhere? Maybe this time… maybe this time I was finally facing the punishment I should have. This was enough to make me want something better.

I only knew one thing now: I was trapped here forever.

It was that heavy feeling that informed me. Or maybe it was the unstoppable hours of lying in the same place, shivering and crying for some sort of remorse. Forgiveness? I no longer knew. I just wanted the pain to stop. The anxiety of never walking again. The fear of this being my demise. I wanted to breathe.

But time had been wasted. Nights has fallen, and the sun returns, but not as bright as I want it to be. All in a cycle to remind me that I was stuck in this place. A dead end.

My goodbye.

* * *

***~*~*Bonnie*~*~***

I should've known by now that there would be consequences. But it usually happens to me. I figured that we'd get through this and life would finally take me like should had a while ago. I figured since I was the one usually caught in the predicament, I'd be the one that would have to face the aftermath –not Brandon- never Brandon.

I knew something was wrong the moment I came back. Nothing felt right the moment I took another breath. The feeling felt empty. Almost. If it wasn't for Jacob, I'm not sure how I would feel. Everything just happened so fast. One moment I was breaking a curse before Jacob took hold of me, then I could feel my body being pulled in so many directions before it came to a halt where I fell on Jacob.

It was the eyes of concern.

The same question running through my head, ran through everyone else's; where are the rest?

Are they okay?

It took minutes which felt like hours until we could see the orbs of magic come back to life. I was sure that it had to be my best friends along with the hybrid. But nothing could prepare me for had really happened. Instead of the ritual called for, somewhere; somehow we made a big mistake. Brandon wasn't there.

First of all, I was sure that we didn't make it to do what we came here for, that was until Elena bolted forward. My best friend was here, but my little brother wasn't. Whatever he did, what I had done, wasn't enough to bring everyone back.

Of course everyone seemed excited that Renesmee and Elena were here, but it didn't take long for them to realize that Brandon was nowhere nearby.

Before I could even panic, someone else beat me to it. Just like the tension being sliced in half, Paul stood in the backgrounds, shocked and confused of what really happened. I hadn't even known that the wolf was even here until he started to ask me where Brandon was –what I did to him –what we did wrong.

He was upset, and I was confused.

I didn't know what to do because I didn't know where to begin. I wasn't used of all of this. Especially when Jacob immediately came to my aid when Paul began to approach me with threats. Paul couldn't come near me with Jacob now protecting me, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it when he reminded the wolf of pack laws. No one harms an imprint.

That was me now.

As the others saw it, he no longer admired Renesmee. The task worked, but it just didn't work entirely. I kept back-tracking on where and when we went wrong, but I couldn't concentrate with all of the chaos taking place. Not only was Paul freaking out, so was Tyler. This wasn't what neither of us wanted, but now the pack and the vampires had to step in once Tyler, Paul and Jacob were close to fighting for their own reasons.

"STOP!" I shouted, now examining the scene, recalling on every step that I could. "I can't…" I cried out, slamming my fists on the stone table. "Brandon! B? Where the hell are you?"

"Bonnie, Bonnie…" I could feel a massive set of arms wrap around me, "calm down, just stay calm."

"How can I stay calm Jacob?" I seethed, pulling myself away "my best friend, my brother, could be dead and you want me to calm down. I can't let that happen."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Jacob argued.

"How the hell can you be so sure Black?" Paul asked angered, his frame shook in frustration, "What makes you think that Brandon is okay when Bonnie said it herself…." He pounded his fists on the table too. "Brandon is gone. My Brandon is dead because of you guys!" His voice was shaky, "all because you wanted to save some leech and that half-breed. That's fucking bullshit. Should've let the bitches die."

"Shut it Paul!"

"What? Now all of the sudden you found another imprint, you're fine with mine dying?" It was hard to argue with Paul when most of his words seemed true in some way. I didn't want to admit it, but it felt real. "I didn't want him doing this in the first place, but he never listened to me. I was afraid to lose everything I had, everything I just got back, and all because I didn't know how to cope with this shit, I lost him before I could figure it out."

"Paul?" Sam spoke, "Brandon did this because he wanted to, it's just who he was."

"How the hell would you know?" Paul shouted at Sam, "You all forgot that he came here to get away from all of this shit, and what now? It consumes him and you're all saying this is what he wanted? Fuck that! Fuck you! Fuck all of you!"

"Now wait!"

"Especially you!" He addressed Tyler. "You should've stayed away. You should've known your place. Brandon didn't want you, he didn't want this. Ever since you all came here, it's been nothing but bullshit. He didn't have to do this if you guys didn't force him."

"We didn't force him Paul." I wiped the tear from my cheek, moving further from Jacob's side. "He was looking for a distraction because he didn't know how to get to you." I spoke up, "this is what Brandon does when he doesn't know how to deal with his own problems. He tried to get you. He tried to apologize, but you held it all against him, he needed a distraction. It was him that wanted to help. I didn't force him, none of us did and you know it."

"So you're blaming me?" Paul asked offended.

"Maybe I am." I replied frustrated. "He loves you Paul, and for the strangest reason, I still don't get it. Imprint or not, I just don't get how someone with such a kind soul could love someone with such a damaged one. He didn't ask to be put in the middle of all of this, none of us did, but that's just who Brandon is as a person, and a witch. If he can help, he'd do anything to do so."

"That still doesn't excuse the fact that he's gone?"

"No it doesn't," I walked closer to the man in pain, "but maybe this is where you have to step in, to step up, maybe there's a way for you to get him back."

"How the hell do you expect me to do that?" He slumped in defeat.

"I don't know." I shrugged, "it's something you're going to have to figure out."

Bursting into anger, the man fled and shifted into his wolf form before disappearing in the forest. A few of the others followed while we stood in shock. None of us could seem to comprehend on what had just happened. Brandon wasn't here.

"What do we do now?" Caroline stood next to me.

"We have to do something." Elena stood on my other side, each of us still staring at the spot where the wolves disappeared.

"I'm not sure if we can really do anything." I replied defeated, "truth is, I think we just might need Paul for this, if he's ready."

"But he's facing his own demons." Jacob mentioned, grabbing onto my wrist lightly. I pulled away slightly, still unsure of how to grasp on being his imprint.

"He'll come around." We all brought our attention to Tyler, "he now knows what it feels like to lose the most important person in his life; he'd be a fool if he didn't try."

"How can you be so sure?" Jacob asked.

"Because Brandon doesn't only leave broken hearts, he leaves shattered souls." It was the first time I had ever witnessed Tyler show emotion, "he just needs to feel how broken he is."

It made sense. If Brandon really is Paul's imprint, surely it'll catch up to him in many ways. If Paul doesn't think this through properly, he just might not make it through it this time. Brandon is lost right now, and I shouldn't have let him go forward with any of this –but in a way- this was supposed to happen this way. Paul needed to feel the lost in order for us all to move forward.

I knew I missed Brandon. He's like a brother to me, and it had been more than once I had found a way to bring him back to me, but now I couldn't do this. Not this time. It wasn't my mission. It was the one who was supposed to save him in this time.

This time Paul has to save him.

* * *

**~*~*Brandon*~*~**

This routine is getting old.

I guess I never learn.

I should have by now.

I should have given it more thought this time. But I didn't. Maybe I had too much pride. Or I just couldn't face defeat because I was too stubborn. I've done this more than once and nothing good has come out of it but one, and I've given that up for this. Now I'm stuck. In the same predicament I have been in before.

Who am I kidding? I was running. I was running from the one thing, the one person I didn't know how to face. Never have I ever been in the position where someone cared for me as much as Paul had. Maybe I was so in tuned to ruining it before something could actually go wrong. I would rather deal with the shitty part of it before it arrived, making it worse than it was. Paul's love scared me more than the monster that used to live inside him.

I guess it goes back to Tyler too. I was so used of him breaking me it became a routine; a part of life really. Things got bad, I made them worse. It didn't help that I couldn't seem to push Tyler away either. Though I could admit now that I no longer carry feelings for him, it just doesn't seem enough for Paul to believe in me.

I don't even know how to get him to believe in me either. He's stubborn and hard-headed. I just want him to understand that I'm new to this. I've never been in a real relationship. I've never had a boyfriend.

I know he hasn't. His first imprint was enough to prove that. Which actually makes me wonder if he still wishes he was with Rachel in some way. Ever since I broke the imprint, it's been a raw situation. Everything has been out in the open and nothing has ever been resolved. How can I convince him that I no longer have feelings for Tyler? Will he ever believe me that it's him I want to take that chance with.

It's hard not to think of Paul, especially now it seems I ended up at his place. But it didn't look like Paul's. The atmosphere looked like something you'd see in a black and white drama, quiet and a bit unsettling.

The walls were empty. The couch sat in the same spot; untouched and dusty. The TV with the black screen reflecting the dusty coffee table in front of it. The fireplace empty without a trace of ash, but dust. It seemed as if the place was built and never touched –practically abandoned.

The kitchen was empty too. The counters layered with dust, the windows had no curtains, the cupboards and fridge was empty. The hallway was dark that led to the rooms with one bed where Paul's was, again; untouched. It made me feel empty, almost as if Paul never existed.

It actually hurt. My chest felt heavy with emotions as I realized that I just might never see Paul again. Like he was a figment of my imagination. Someone who began to matter so much to me, was fading with the few memories I had of him. It had to be the imprint that was making feel this way. The hollowness. The fear of being alone.

I sat on his bed, staring at an empty frame where a picture he took of me on our first date should be, the one where I was caught off guard. I remember him saying it was his favorite. It showed the vulnerable side of me, the part of me where I would so easily let him in. As my fingers grazed the dusty glass, I've come to realize just how different he was, and how much I missed him.

I must've looked like a fool holding the empty frame up to my chest closely, tears falling down my cheek as I realized just how much I was losing because of my foolish mistakes. I wanted to curl up and forget that this all happened. Praying and hoping that just maybe that this was all a big nightmare. But the moment I'd open my eyes, the tears still blurred the dark room. I was so sure by then I was alone.

Until I heard a noise.

It frightened me at first. I jumped from where I laid, my breath hitching as I realized the noise came again. But this time I was more curious.

It sounded like and animal of some sort.

I stood up and took a small timid step towards the door, holding my breath as I continued to tip-toe my way down the hallways slowly. Halting the moment I heard it again –more distinctive and louder. Like a yelp, a pup or dog of some sort.

Carefully I made my way to the opening where I could see the living area and kitchen, pausing as I realized just what it was as it came in sight. I held my breath and half-smiled as the wolf's head looked up towards me.

I recognized this wolf. I would know this wolf anywhere if I saw it. It was Paul's.

Though I still was unsure of the approach as the massive beast lay sprawled on the living room floor. His huge head still staring in my direction as his paws reached out in front of him, his tail wagging back and forth slowly. Before I could react, the wolf stood on all fours and began to approach me.

I couldn't respond or run, it stood in front of me before I could even take a step.

"Paul?" I whispered.

Just as I reached my hand out, he tucked his head under it until my fingers raked through his soft fur and his head rested on my shoulder, nudging my cheek with his as my arm wrapped around his neck to hug him. He leaned into me, rubbing his side into me until my arms wrapped around him, hugging him like my life depended on it. I wanted to cry, but I was more content knowing that this felt so real.

"I miss you." Was all I could say.

It was as if he understood my every word.

He licked my cheek playfully before nudging my chest. I let out a giggle and gave him a smile that made him stare at me with worry. I knew then that he was concerned for me, and it made me wonder if this was Paul's way of telling me that he was thinking of me. I hoped it was. I could really use some positive news.

I expected by then for him to phase into his human form, but he hadn't. I don't think he could by then. When I asked him, he stared at the floor for a moment, as if he felt guilty for not being able to fulfill my request. I simply held him close and explained to him that I could only hope.

As for now, I felt grateful just for the fact that a part of him was close to me. If this is what I would be left with, then at least I knew that Paul's wolf was next to me. I wouldn't be entirely alone. As much as I wanted the man next to me, I had to be okay with this. I needed the closeness. I needed him.

I just hope he needed me.

* * *

**~*~*Paul*~*~**

How could I be so fucking stupid?

It was all my fault. As much as I could blame the others, I couldn't help but realized that I was too stubborn to fix it when I could've. I should've trusted Brandon when he needed me too. Now I lost him because I couldn't let go of the jealousy? When I was going to be a man about it?

It sure didn't help though that his ex was putting his nose in shit where it don't belong. I can't stand that idiot Tyler. He should've stayed wherever the hell it is he came from. The moment that fucker came back into his life, he's been making shit hard on me and Brandon. Filling Brandon's head with bullshit.

My fucking ego got in the way of that too. If I wasn't so bothered by Lockwood, then maybe I could've tried to ignore him and actually listen to Brandon.

Everyone told me I should. Jared has been stressing it on me. Hell even Kim told me to stop acting like a jackass and realize that Brandon was there for me.

I blamed everyone. I should've been there every step of the way. Especially when he needed me the most. He needed me for support, and I just turned my back on him. The ones who were there for him are suffering over this just as much as I was, and I stood in the background all because I didn't know how to show my face.

I was never good with imprinting I guess. I couldn't be what Rachel wanted me to be, and she never approved of me. She pushed me away and treated me like shit. Now I did the same thing to Brandon. I made him feel like he was nothing to me when he means the world to me. How can I tell him now? I might never see him again.

I could just die here from the agony.

Yeah I was loathing in self-pity. But I don't know how to fix this, especially when Bonnie says that it's up to me now. How the fuck am supposed to save Brandon when I don't even know where to start. I know nothing about magic.

Besides, it all hurt way too much. I never needed someone more than I needed Brandon right now. Just to have him close, I would give anything. I would do anything to see him one more time. I'd tell him everything. I'd love him right. I'd beg for his forgiveness. I'd treat him like a king if he wanted me to. I'd hold him and never let go.

But I couldn't think. I was too busy sulking and pitying my worthless being. Tears burned my face, my head pulsing from the few memories I had of him. The one picture I had of him stayed close to me, clenched in my grasp as I held onto it for my life. The one image I had of him etched in my memories.

I could only think of the moment I snuck the picture, catching him off guard, in his vulnerable state. I promised I'd frame it because this is when he looked the most beautiful, the most innocent and pure. The moment he'd let his guard down and let me in.

How I wished I never screwed up.

Our lives could have been so much better if I at least tried harder this time? Now I was clueless to how to get him back, and I was a bit worried that I just might never get him back.

I couldn't help but ball like a baby as I curled up on my bed. Lonely once again, holding the only thing that meant the world to me. Drifting off because I couldn't handle the exhaustion. I was tired of facing reality, hoping that I could just sleep through this nightmare.

But even so, when I closed my eyes, the nightmares were still there.

_Another dark place. Abandoned and eerily quiet. _

_It was home, but never the same. It would never be the same if I didn't have Brandon to make it feel like home. I couldn't run from the reality of him never existing. I was bound to be alone. Even my wolf seem disappointed. _

_Never have I come face to face with him in my dreams, we always shared bodies, and now he stood before me. I stood and stared at him as he looked down upon me from the pile of boulders and bushes. I was lost and he turned away and walked into the opposite direction. _

_Again I felt abandoned. _

_Then he howled. _

_As soon as I climbed the boulders to see him above, he stood across from me, looking back and then looking in the opposite direction. I was confused of what he wanted from me, surely he knew by now how big of a failure I was, and yet, it was like if he was waiting for me._

_So I followed._

_Moments later, making my way through the brush and forest, we both had come back to the reservation, close to home. It was the last place I wanted to be, but it seemed as if my wolf wanted me there. I couldn't stop following him as he trotted up the stairs to the place I called home._

_Like I said, I didn't want to be here, but the wolf let out a growl. I knew then I had no choice, I had to face whatever it was I was supposed to. I slowly made my way toward the house just as he disappeared inside._

_Walking through the threshold was unsettling. I didn't want to be here, but for some reason I was supposed to. It didn't help that the place didn't look the same. It looked empty and untouched, like I never even lived here in the first place. Shit, even the pictures were all gone. I wanted to turn and run until I heard something I thought I would never hear._

_Someone was crying. I could hear the quiet sobs coming from the back. _

_I stared down at my wolf who seemed relaxed on the living room floor. He let out a small yelp before I realized the crying stopped. I curiously stared at my wolf, he stared in the direction of the noise, practically ordering me to go find out what was going on. So I did._

_Slowly I began to walk towards my room in the back, extremely curious to what I might find until I stopped dead in my tracks. I could feel my heart drop when I recognized the face I thought I would never see again. I wanted to cry tears of joy. _

_With all of the excitement, I reached out and raced towards him. Brandon. His tears had been wiped and almost dried as he stared in my direction. My arms were wide open as I approached him, him taking a step towards me. Just as I was ready to wrap my arms around him, he walked right through me. _

_I panicked._

_Looking back, I realized that he couldn't see me. I was invisible to him. My worst nightmare has become a reality. He couldn't hear me shout his name or when I clapped my hands. I freaked out knowing that I was nothing to him, and I was no longer a part of his world._

_I followed him as he made his way towards the living room. I couldn't help but watch him in pain, wanting just to feel his touched. _

_My breath hitched the moment he gasped. Brandon stared straight ahead where my wolf laid. I wasn't sure of what was going on, but soon realized that he could see him. With my every effort, I tried making myself noticeable again, but I was left with nothing as he approached the wolf with caution. _

_I wanted so bad to hold him, but instead, he was now holding onto my wolf._

"_Paul?" Never have I ever thought his voice would sound so angelic._

"_It's me baby." I tried to interfere, but was left to witness the comfort I desperately needed._

_Never have I been as jealous of my wolf as I watched him be intimate with my imprint. He was being hugged by Brandon and I wanted nothing more than to switch places with him just to feel his touch. _

"_I miss you." I stared at Brandon for a moment, wanting to wipe the tears that fell down his cheek. Instead they disappeared into my wolf's fur as he comforted Brandon. I hated that I couldn't tell him the same thing._

_There he stood, in arms reach, and yet I couldn't touch him. It was as if my heart wanted me to suffer more than I had. My mind found it amusing to play tricks on me. I knew I didn't deserve it. But here I was, left to watch as my imprint curl up with my wolf._

_I literally was in hell._

_But somehow hell gave me hope. Just as I was about to give up hope, my wolf stood up and approached me. I couldn't understand why he could see me and Brandon couldn't, but just as he lifted his paw up, he pressed it towards my chest where my heart should be._

_Then I heard my own voice, 'right here…' I looked down at his massive paw, 'is where you'll find us.'_

I woke up breaking into a sweat. Panicked I caught my breath before I realized that whatever I just experienced, meant something. If it was a dream, then it meant something. I was beginning believe that my wolf will be able to help me find and rescue Brandon before it was too late.

There was just one person I had to ask.


	20. Chapter 19

**D: Disclaimed **

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

* * *

I never felt so helpless; so powerless; so useless.

Never in my existence have I ever faced a predicament where practically everything was rendered inadequate. I was so used of having some source of energy to help me figure things out, but now it seemed if that disappeared as well. I couldn't summon the spirits or any source of magic. Literally, I would stare at my palms in hopes that something might happen.

Paul looked at me as if I was crazy most of the time. I still call him Paul. I don't know what else to call him other than Paul's wolf. At least I'm know for certain that this wolf is the exact replica of the wolf Paul changes into, but I can prove that this is the man that I love. He sure seems fond of me, which doesn't make much sense.

At least the moment he had arrived I haven't felt completely alone. It was as if he was watching over me. That's what made me convinced that Paul was in there somewhere, and gave me hope that I might get to see him again –at least I hoped.

With my every effort, I didn't seem to be getting anywhere. I tried summoning the spirits, but was left to nothing. I tried calling upon my powers, but nothing would budge or move. I felt trapped that I couldn't seem to do anything to help.

This place was terrifying at most. I couldn't sleep much because I found myself waking up from my nightmares of being stuck here for eternity before someone found me. This even made me try harder. Still. Nothing.

As I found myself journeying off to look for life, Paul followed me without hesitance. I couldn't stay at the place that reminded me so much of what I lost, or what I been through. I had to move on to someplace where I was sure could be better than this.

Yet, the roads were empty. A few vehicles abandoned on the sides, weeds and shrubs growing through them. The highway began to crack and look like something out of apocalypse movie. I was beginning to wish something might even pop out to make me believe that I had a chance, but even that hadn't happened.

I continued on, and Paul continued to follow me with his tongue hanging out, trotting next to me as if had a care in the world. It made me wonder what was going through his head, and if he was the bit of the slightest worried about us. There had to be a reason he was here with me, and there had to be a reason I was looking for something. I had to believe that.

In that instant, it felt as if everything changed in that moment. First thing I noticed was Paul's reaction, how he quickly stood next to me, on guard. I leaned in closer and stared in the direction he was looking, not seeing a thing. But that didn't stop him from snarling and growling as if we were in danger.

"What is it?" I whispered to him, expecting some sort of answer.

Without hesitation, he began to nudge me and push me in the opposite direction. Rather than argue with him, I let him lead me to an abandoned truck where he made me hide between the massive tree and the small opening where the rear tire should've been. I quietly asked him again, but he gave me saddened look before sneaking back around the truck.

It made me want to take back about wishing something would appear. Something was out there, and I couldn't do anything. I had to wait, and it felt as if I waited longer than I wanted to. I tried listening for something, but it was a dead silence in the air.

I worried for Paul more than ever. It had to be over fifteen minutes and I still had no clue to what could be happening. I had to do something. But Paul didn't want me to move. As much as I wanted to ignore him, something told me that I should be at least listening to him by now. That was until I hear the horrifying shriek coming from the same direction Paul went.

I had to do something.

So I did.

In a brief second I found myself moving before I could realize it, and in the same direction where I could hope to find Paul. This time it was a howl I that echoed, and I knew Paul was up against something, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what exactly that something was. But I would soon find out just as the shrieking roar came again.

I could only see the blur now.

One I knew to be Paul, the other, well that was something else.

I couldn't see exactly what it was until Paul's wolf attack and was able to shove the creature until the blur became noticeable.

On one side of the area, Paul's wolf stood in attack mode, his ears pressed back, his fangs exposed like razor sharp knives, his fur erect, his feet pounding into the forest floor, preparing himself to attack again.

On the other side, something I had never saw stood on its own two feet. A creature that looked like something from horror movie. It stood on its hind legs before falling forward onto his front legs with a thud. But his paws looked like hands as they dug into the ground. He looked like a wolf too, but he was bigger than Paul was, harrier, and more vicious looking. Its tail was bushy, his eyes were red as blood, its fangs just as sharp, perhaps even sharper that Paul's. Sadly, whatever Paul had, this thing had twice as better. The only thing that came to mind what this thing could be was a werewolf.

It had to be.

I waited for some sort of reaction from either, but something unexpected happened before I could respond.

Paul was moving in my direction and I couldn't understand why, that was until I realized that the monster had spotted me. Either I was dead, or Paul would die before me. I didn't want to admit this, but I was sure by now that we were doomed.

We needed a miracle.

***~*~*Paul*~*~***

After explaining to Sam about my dream, he was on board on helping me find out what could be happening. I had to agree with him when he suggested we call on Bonnie and her other friends to help us. As much I hated them for getting us in this predicament, I realized that they could be my only hope in getting Brandon back. And soon.

With everyone gathering, it seemed that we were all at rut when it came to planning on what we could do. Every fucking plan came to a dead end, and I wasn't too pleased with our strategies.

I knew there had to be a reason my wolf could see him and I couldn't, nor could Brandon see my but my wolf. When I brought it up to Bonnie, she was left clueless too. No one seemed to know how or why. That was until someone had finally spoke some truce that I could believe in.

"It can't be the spiritual plains." Embry suggested, "You mentioned that your wolf was there Paul, right?" I nodded, the others listened, "well, according to our legends, our wolves remain on plain where only lost spirits exist. A plain where there's no place for them to be until they can either be claimed or disposed of."

"But why would my wolf's spirit remain there if I claimed him when I phased?" I asked annoyed.

"Have you tried phasing?" Sam asked.

I shrugged. "No, not for a while to tell you the truth." I thought about it. "Even when I was pissed with Brandon, I felt like I didn't want to bother anymore."

"This could be bad." Jacob added. I stared at him concerned. "Your imprint was in need Paul, and you've been rejecting him, you've been rejecting everything about you, including the warrior that helps you."

"That's impossible, I can still phase." I argued.

"Prove it." Jacob urged to annoy me.

"Fine!" I replied angered. "I will."

Try as I might, I couldn't. With every one of the pack's eyes watching me, I found myself standing in my shorts, with no hint or ability to change into the wolf I've grown to trust and need, and for once, I hadn't felt so damn empty.

"This is bad." Jared panicked, then I panicked.

"Why is this bad?" I asked worried, "I can phase again? Can't I?"

"Not without your wolf." Sam spoke, "seems to me, from what you said, your wolf has left you to the one thing you should have."

"He's right Paul." Jacob continued, "When Brandon needed you, your wolf is the only one that had come to his rescue."

"But, but," I argued, "Brandon didn't look as if he was in danger. He looked fine."

"He could be, for now." Embry spoke, "but the empty plains doesn't exactly mean that it's empty."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I asked pissed off.

"Hold on," Embry replied, "Jake, I need you to call Bonnie and the others again."

The man nodded and left for a moment. I sat in down for a moment, holding and pulling my hair in frustration. I hadn't realized until now just how much I may have fucked things up. I put my imprint in a dangerous situation, and I acted like a jackass doing it. I had been nothing but a major fuck-up. I needed to fix this. I needed to find a way.

"You mentioned something about this plain you were at?" I looked up to see Embry question Jacob's new imprint. She nodded with her hands in her pockets, standing nervously next to her vampire friend. "What was it exactly is it that you saw?"

"You mean other than us?" She asked. He nodded. "I don't know what it was, we barely had a chance to see what it really was other than the blur."

"Do you know why it was there?" He asked her.

"Brandon figured it was because of Renesmee and Jacob's imprint." She shrugged, "but it should've vanished when the imprint was broken."

"Maybe, maybe not." Embry spoke.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm saying, because the imprint existed in the first place, it developed something that could hopefully existed," Embry continued, "I know it's hard to make sense, but because of the possibilities of the imprint, and because someone has been to the plain where this thing was created, it still exists there. Either someone is meant to claim it, or it has to be disposed of."

"That can't be, how is that possible?" Bonnie asked.

"You said that it could be the future spawn of the imprint that wasn't supposed to happen!" Embry said bluntly. "It's the reason you broke the imprint, but because you entered the same plain where existed, everyone who was there, tampered with it. Something that was created can't, can no longer exist unless it dies or is killed."

"So that monster is still there?" I asked. Staring blankly, "with my Brandon? With my wolf only to protect him?"

"It's possible." Embry replied, his expression changed at that moment as if he had come to an epiphany. "Which means we have to go to."

"WHAT?" Jared shouted.

"What do you mean?" Quil asked.

"He means that if we don't act quickly, then our pack brother could be facing death at this moment and we're here yacking about nothings…" Sam spoke. "We don't have much time if this is the predicament."

"What do we do then?" I stood up in a panic. "We have to do something, we can't just sit here. I'll lose everything. We have to at least save Brandon."

"Tiffany?" Bonnie gave Embry's mom a stern look. She nodded and reached for her son's and Quil's hand. "Everyone in the pack, join hands with us, we'll do our best to bring you to them."

"But you can get hurt." Jacob held onto his imprint.

"If I don't, everyone could be hurt from this," she stared into Jacob's eyes, "this is what I do Jacob, you have to trust me or this isn't going to work."

With hesitance, Jake nodded. "I trust you."

With everyone in the room, and as everyone in the pack joined hands with the witches, I could already feel the energy flowing through us. Whatever was about to happened, I had to have faith that I could be there to save Brandon. It was my mission.

"It's not enough…" Sam shouted.

"What do you mean it's not enough?" I panicked again.

Before any of us could react, Embry began to chant along with his mother. Behind us, we could feel the elder's presence, each of them with a hand rested on our shoulders as they began to follow the chant.

That's when I could feel the euphoric energy course through our bodies. My eyes could only see the blurry pictures before me until I began to recognize the experience, I knew that we were close to our destination. I have it all, whatever hope I had, I prayed for the first time in my life and asked that I be brought to my imprint's side somehow.

Then there he was. I hadn't been so happy in my life. I was ecstatic, but he wasn't. He looked frightened. It was then I realized just what was making him react in such a way. It was the beast across from me. The monster they spoke of. It was hideous and looked as if it was thirsting for blood.

So I reacted.

I went straight for my imprint, howling for anyone I hoped could hear me.

**~*~*~*Brandon*~*~*~**

I couldn't move.

I was so afraid that I couldn't react. I knew I should at least run, but I just couldn't. I was frozen in my spot, and yet Paul was putting himself in danger to save me, even if that meant he may die doing it.

I tried. I tried so hard. But I just couldn't do it. I needed some sort of push. I prayed that I could so something.

"BRANDON!"

Like someone thumped me over the head, I could hear familiar voices. How? I wasn't sure, but the moment I had turned to where I once was, Bonnie and aunt Tiffany stood, panicking and calling me over to get out of the way. The only thing I could do react was to jump out of the way quickly.

I tumbled to my left to avoid the blow from either Paul or the beast. I knew then I was happy to see my best friend and my aunt, it's just finding out why they were here in the first place. Strange as it was, I could feel the pain of what was going on now. It was as if someone had pushed the reality button and I was trying not to focus on the fact that I landed on my arm hard.

I turned to find that the beast had attacked Paul, and unfortunately, Paul wasn't doing to good when it came to his defence. The monster took hold of Paul and threw him across the abandoned lot.

"Come, quick." Bonnie grabbed onto me, aunt Tiffany grabbed my other arm.

"We need to get you to a safe spot."

"I am so glad to see you guys." I said in a heavy breath, "but how did you get here?"

"Thank Paul for that." Bonnie added, looking in the direction where Paul was.

"Paul?" I watched as he attempted to stand, realizing that something was a bit different. "Is that him?"

"I'm sure it is now." Aunt Tiffany spoke, now holding up my arm as she began to create a sling.

"We have to help him." I panicked.

"You can't, you're hurt." Bonnie replied.

"But he'll be killed."

Just as I said it, a blur went passed us, then another, and another, and another. I hadn't been so relieved just as I realized just who it was. The first to attack was the massive brown wolf I knew was Jacob.

He simply latched onto the beasts arm just as the dark wolf known as Sam grabbed onto the other arm with his large fangs. The monster cried out and began to fling the wolves off of it. Just he had, two others came from under him, snapping at his ankles and knocking the beast down, causing it to snarl at them. By the time Seth and Quil joined, all of the wolves had the beast surrounded.

It was amazing to see them work together as a team, but that didn't mean that this monster was about to give up so easily. It also didn't mean that the pack would back down without a fight either. I was correct to think once Paul bolted forward with Jacob and Sam in flank.

One by one, the beast swung them aside like rag-dolls. Jared, Quil and Embry went in and made their move, followed by a sneak attack from Seth, and yet none of it seemed to work as the monster seemed to be one step ahead.

"They're not doing too good." I said worried.

"Have faith in them." Aunt Tiffany spoke, "they'll come up with something."

I tried to stay positive about the situation, but it seemed that the werewolf had them where it wanted them. Sam was slammed against the truck next to them while Jacob and Paul were thrown against the power poles. Poor Seth was kicked before the beast swung and slashed him across the back. Jared and Embry were still recovering from their injuries as the monster slashed their sides. Quil was still trying to keep the thing occupied while the others could get back into battle mode.

"We have to do something!" I begged as I watched Paul struggle to keep his balance.

"But what can we do, we're powerless." Bonnie replied.

"But if we can feel the pain and agony of it, we should be able to tap into some of our magic." I replied, still watching as Quil kept the monster busy.

"Maybe you can give them power now that you're their imprints." Aunt Tiffany spoke.

"But how?" I asked, noticing Sam get back into the fight.

"By connecting through your binds, you've done it before." She explained, "Give them power and use them as tools to strengthen their abilities."

"You're not making sense auntie." I panicked as I watched Paul attack again.

"Become as one!" She shoved us forward and grabbed our hands, "both of you!"

Before I could really understand what she had meant, everything that I had experienced, magically, led me to this one moment. The power. The spells. The strength. The hope and the need. My purpose.

With little effort, it was as if I could see through Paul's sight, watching as he attacked the beast in front of him. Rather than letting him get a hold onto us, I demanded Paul's wolf to twist his body quickly under the werewolf's massive frame and latching onto its bicep. Just as we made a connection, I noticed that Jacob's wolf was grasped onto the monster's side, both of the wolf's teeth sunken into the beast's flesh. I began to send jolts of energy that coursed through Paul's wolf and into the monster's.

The hold was long enough for the other's to respond. The pack gathered in rapid speed and sunk their fangs into the werewolf, pulling the flesh and tendons from the beast's skin. As let the think fall, we didn't quit, it had to be killed; that we knew. So just as I ushered Paul's wolf forward, so did Jacob's wolf, and together we severed the head and pierced the monster's chest with our claws, crushing the heart until the thing stopped breathing.

Just then, we pulled back and I took a deep breath before realizing I was back in my body, falling to me knees as I caught my breath. Sweat dripped down my face as I realized the effort put into the spells. But I come to realize one thing was for sure, we were becoming stronger.

"We didn't faint." Bonnie muttered, chuckling as she kneeled back, Aunt Tiffany hugging the both of us.

"You can say that again," I laughed as I wiped the sweat from my brow.

"I knew you could do it." Aunt Tiffany said with joy.

"Thank you for that." I hugged auntie back, "if it wasn't for you pushing us to try, then we wouldn't have made it."

"It's only because I believe in you, all of you," she smiled and hugged us again.

"BRANDON!"

I turned to see a very naked Paul running towards me. I stood unsure how to react, but was open to the open arms he had for me. I was a bit surprised to realize that he picked me up and held onto me like our lives depended on it.

"I'm okay…" I gasped a little, Paul realizing he was squeezing a bit too much.

"I'm just so happy that you're okay." He was crying, kissing my cheek before grabbing hold of me again.

"I hate to ruin the happy moment you guys," Embry came running towards us, "but we don't have much time to get back."

"Everyone join hands again." Sam ordered.

"Brandon! You're in the middle!" Bonnie ordered.

"I'm not letting you go again." Paul interfered, his arms wrapped around me, "I can't do it."

"You have to Paul, it's the only way." Aunt Tiffany instructed. "He'll be fine."

"I will be Paul." I looked into his sad expression. "I promise I'll be right here when we get back."

"But what if you're not, I can't go back without you."

"You won't be," I assured him, "because this time, I have you to bring me back. Trust us all, I'll be okay."

"You better be," he slowly let go, "cause if you aren't, I'll come back…"

"I know, I know you will." I smiled and kissed his cheek. "See you on the other side."

"I better."

**A/N: As always, thanks to my 2 faithful reviewers****, ****Momoi Raze**** and ****rAbiDmutt03 for always putting in a word and giving your feedback. Hopefully others will still follow. I do believe that this fic is original and worth reading, so please just leave something positive.**

**Anyways, next chapter as soon as I can. **

**Much Love,**

**TurnItUp03**


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: I rewrote this chapter more than once and I couldn't seem to get it just right. So I decided that I would go with what I have before it turns into complete crap. Read and review, and it will determine if this deserves another chapter. Enjoy**

**D: Disclaimed.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty

* * *

Paul was different.

Ever since I woke up, he's been by my side.

It took a moment to recover when I regained consciousness from travelling plains. Seeing how I had to get back on own, it took its toll on me once again. I passed out for a couple hours, and that made Paul worry even more.

I did in fact make a promise to him. That was a stupid thing to do in first place. I couldn't guarantee that I would come back, but I needed him to go back, even if it was without me. So I could at least say that I tried. That I worked my hardest to be what he needed me to be.

When I woke up, he was the first person I saw. He was the first to pull me in his embrace, refusing to let me go. He kept telling me how worried he was for me, how he was afraid that I would never come back to him. I wasn't used to that. It was so foreign to me to realize that someone cared so much for me other than my best friend. Yet, here he was, refusing to leave my side the moment he let the others come see me.

Bonnie was no different. Which made me feel guilty that I continued to worry those I loved. This was a habit I needed to break. Looking at Paul, it made me realize that I shouldn't be putting my life at risk. I wasn't invincible, and I had to remind myself just that.

The reunion was crowded to say the least. But it sure felt like we made a big achievement. After coming back from so much, and being able to give everyone that chance of survival, it felt like a big accomplishment. Elena was back, thanks to Renesmee. Bonnie had Jacob now, and that's something we both needed to adjust to. Just like Paul, he was attached to her, holding her close, which was a strange sight to see.

Caroline, Damon and Stefan seemed to be grateful for my return too. Caroline moreso, she's always been clingy, and right now it was no exception. She kept telling me how thankful she was that I was able to come back and how telling me how happy she was for me that I found someone that would treat me better.

Which kind of made it difficult to look at Tyler. I could see the sorrow he burdened. With saying goodbye to everyone who was leaving, I needed to talk to him in private for a moment. Paul didn't like it, but I needed closure.

"I promise I'll be back," I looked Paul in the eyes, resting my palm on his cheek to comfort him. "this is something I need to do though."

Reluctantly, he gave me a nod. Everyone seemed to watch me as I approached Tyler, signalling him for me to follow me outside.

We were at the Cullen's manor. Everyone was now inside, leaving me alone with Tyler, whom hasn't looked at me yet since he walked ahead of me, leading the way to the front yard and down to the creek. Turning to me, his expression hadn't changed. I could see that he was hurting in some way.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, digging my hands in my pockets.

"I should be asking you that," he smirked.

"You know what I mean though?" I asked.

"Yeah I do," he fidgeted, looking in the direction of the forest then back to me. "I just don't know how to handle this just yet."

"I can't leave him." I said.

"I know that…" he turned to me, "now." He sighed, "but that doesn't mean that I like it."

"But you understand though, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, as much as I hate that I do," He stared at the ground now, "but I get it. You don't belong to me, and that's my fault."

"Did you think that I did before?" I asked wondering.

"I wanted you to," he admitted, "but it was too late for me to realize it. I should've fought harder."

"Why didn't you?" I asked, curious to how we ended up here when I knew I tried so hard.

"Because I was afraid Brandon," he replied, his tone sounding annoyed, "I didn't want anyone to know that I was falling in love with you because I was afraid to lose you, and now that I did, I could care less what anyone thinks."

"I know you don't want hear this Tyler but, I learned from this." He looked back at me, "I learned that being loved by someone doesn't mean being hurt by someone. What we had wasn't healthy, and it took me forever to realize that."

"I know."

"But I don't blame you anymore Tyler." I walked closer. "I want to thank you for giving me the moments that I do cherish. Comforting me when I needed you the most, loving me even though I knew you couldn't say it, making me feel special when I didn't feel like it."

"I wish I could change this." He said with sincerity, "I know what this is Brandon, you're saying goodbye, and I get the feeling that this may just be the last time I may see you. I'm not okay with that, but I need to accept that."

I've never seen Tyler be this emotional. His voice was shaky, and a tear trickled down his cheek. His eyes were watery, turning red as he wiped his cheek with his palm.

"I just want you to know that I love you, and I will always love you." He wiped the tear from my cheek, one I didn't realize was falling, "I know he will take care of you – I know that he will give you everything that I couldn't. I know that he'll cherish you like I couldn't."

"We can't go here Tyler." I turned, trying to hide myself from falling apart. "I can't… I won't… I'm not going to feel like this anymore. I still care for you, and I think I always will. I just want to leave here knowing that you're going to be okay."

"Hey, hey now," He pulled me into his arms. "I know Paul is going to like me touching you, but I need you to know that I'll get through this. It's going to be hard at first, but I'll manage."

"I love you Tyler." I don't know why I said it, but it was the truth.

It wasn't exactly the same love I felt for Paul, but it was enough to know that I still care for him.

"I love you too." He held onto me tighter, before letting go and looking into my eyes. "Take care of yourself."

"You're leaving now?" I asked disappointed.

"If I don't go now Brandon, I'll never leave." He admitted, still in a shaky tone. "I need to let you live your life, and I need to go live mine."

"I'm going to miss you," I admitted.

"I know." He forced a smile, "but maybe someday we can meet again, when were both in better places in our lives. Maybe someday I'll come back and be able to see you without feeling like I'm going to fall apart."

"Maybe." I muttered.

"Take care." He pulled away slowly before turning without saying another word.

I watched as he phased into his wolf, leaving in the opposite direction without looking back. I stood motionless, refusing to fall apart as he disappeared. I wiped my tears as I could hear a painful howl in a distance, reminding me that my best friend just walked out of my life.

"You okay?" I could feel a warm hand being placed on my lower back.

Rather than responding, I found myself wrapping my arms around Paul, burying my face into his chest as I let the tears fall. He said nothing but pulled me closer, his hand rubbing my head while he held onto me tight. I think he knew what I was going through, and for once, he hadn't judged me or scorned me for showing my emotions for the man I used to love.

I felt bad that I couldn't stay for everyone's departure, but I wasn't ready for anymore goodbyes. I wasn't ready to let go of the life I used to have, and yet, I was finally prepared to embrace the life I had with Paul.

"If you want…" Paul said with hesitance, "we can go with them if we need to."

I looked up at him for a moment, then shaking my head and wiping my tears once again, "as much as I want to, I can't. I need to be away to move on. Besides, I can't ask you to leave your pack when I know how close you are to them. They're like your brothers."

"They'll understand Brandon." He held onto me.

I shook my head again, "I need to be here with you Paul. I meant what I said when I told you that I would be here with you. I can't move forward with you if I keep going back."

"Are you sure?" He asked concerned.

"Can we just go home Paul?" I asked him.

He nodded, looking at Sam, receiving the same response from him as he led me back to Embry's truck.

When we arrived at his house, he led me up the stairs and into the house. I followed him to his room as he pulled me into his embrace, lifting me onto his bed as he laid next to me. I didn't mean to be so emotional, but I couldn't help it. I was balling my eyes out while Paul soothed me, his hand rubbing my back as we laid in his dark room. I could barely see anything other than his naked chest.

He was still in his cut-offs, and I was still in my clothes. I cried until I found myself too exhausted, forgetting the moment I fell asleep in Paul's embrace. It was bittersweet to be next to him, and I did feel guilty for falling apart in front of him.

The last thing I remembered before closing my eyes was the soft kiss he place on my forehead. I knew then, this man really loved me.

I slept through the night, for once I couldn't remember the nightmares that used to haunt me. The room shed a little light through the dark curtains, giving off enough light for me to notice that I was alone in the room. The door was open, and I could hear music playing in a distance. I could smell the bacon invade my nostrils as I followed it down the hall and into the kitchen.

Paul was standing next to the stove with his back facing me. I sat at the stool next to the counter, fidgeting as he turned to see me. He gave me a concerned look before approaching me with a plate of food.

"Eat!" He ordered.

"Thanks." I muttered. "For everything."

"Your welcome."

We sat in silence as we ate. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know where to start. He hadn't spoken either, and I was sure that he was thinking that maybe I was just too fragile to even say a thing.

I looked up at him, realizing that his gaze was on me before looking away.

"What?" I asked shyly.

"Nothing," he finally smiled, "it's just good to see you smile again."

My smile disappeared for a moment before looking back at him. "I want to thank you for being there for me yesterday. I understand that it may have been hard for you to witness, and I'm sorry that you had to see it."

"I get it Brandon." He reached over across the counter. "You needed closure, we all do. I'm not going to shun you out because you have feelings. I just want you to know that I'm here to support you in every way that I can."

"I promise that it will get better." I said.

"No more promises," he rubbed my hand, "I don't need assurance anymore. I know just as much as you that we will get through this, and I know that this will take time."

"Thank-you." Was all I could say.

"Now eat." He chuckled, "we have a long day ahead of us."

I looked at him curiously.

"There's a bonfire celebration tonight." He informed me, "after everything we've gone through, it's time to look at the positive side to this. We need to celebrate."

"I like the sound of that." I smiled.

"And the tribe wants to welcome you and Bonnie." He added, "two imprints is something worth celebrating."

"Bonnie's still here?" I asked hopefully.

"She is Jacob's imprint after all" He smirked. "She decided that she would stay since Jacob will be returning to his post as alpha."

"Really?" I smiled again, then pausing in realization, "they want to celebrate our bond?"

"Why wouldn't they?" He asked.

"I'm not exactly the ideal imprint they expected." I said honestly.

"You're perfect for me," he pulled me in, kissing me for the first time in a long time, "besides, everyone seems to appreciate just what you have done for all of us."

"Feels like I did nothing but cause trouble." I admitted.

"You saved my life Brandon." He reminded me, "and you even gave Jake another chance. If it wasn't for you and Bonnie, we wouldn't have gotten our alpha back where he belongs. And to top that off, you changed the future for us so we wouldn't have to go to war with what could've been."

"Should I wear something special?" I asked unsure.

"Nope." He grinned, "I just need you as you are." He chuckled again, "But you may want to change into something more comfortable."

"I don't have any clothes with me though."

"You're aunt dropped off your suitcase." He stated before letting me go, "I already put your clothes in the dresser next to mine."

"Well look at you Mr. Lahote." I teased before leaving for the room, "moving me in without even knowing. How did you know if I was going to move in or not?"

"I didn't." He replied. "I just hoped that you would."

"Well I'm going to have a shower before I change."

"Towels are in the closet."

The ride was quiet, but a comfortable silence. Often I would catch myself looking at Paul more than I expected. I just couldn't help but realize that this man really did care for me. I wasn't sure the extent of it, just that it was enough for me to be okay with it.

Without speaking a word, he signalled me to move closer to him, his hand patting the spot next to him before reaching out and pulling me closer. For once, I didn't argue with it either. It felt so right to be next to him, and it felt so right toe lean into him as he grabbed my hand and laced his fingers with mine, placing it on his lap before kissing my head.

I hardly paid attention to the destination, just that I was enjoying the moment for what it was. The street lights passed by like a blur until we reached the road that led to the beach, passing a few houses until the glow from the bonfire became noticeable. The stars were out this time with few of the clouds that hovered over the bright moon sky.

"It's beautiful out." I muttered.

"Yeah it is," Paul agreed, tightening his grasp on my hand for comfort.

By the time we had pulled into the parking area, I could already see that we were most likely the last ones to make an appearance. Everyone seemed to be gathered down the beach as the bonfire lit up the night. Most of them seem to be throwing around the ball while a few of the others gathered around the fire.

"Well," Paul chimed in, "we're here."

"There's quite a bit of people here." I said nervously as Paul grabbed a cooler from the back.

"Well other than the pack and their imprints, the elders and a few of the council and their families are joining us." Paul informed.

"What usually happens at a night like this?" I wondered.

"Games, stories, mingling." Paul shrugged, dragging the cooler behind us on its wheels, "the usual stuff."

"So basically a celebration." I stated the obvious, finding myself smiling like a fool as I held onto Paul's arm.

"Nothing gets passed you." He teased before bringing my hand up to kiss it. "Now let's go have some fun."

Before I could even reach the beach, Bonnie was quick to greet us with Jacob not far behind her. She seemed to be adjusting to the imprint quicker than I had, I could never tell that they just met only a few days ago. The both seemed smitten over each other.

We followed them to the others where they were just starting a game of soccer. As the teams were divided, the moon lit up the beach, making it easier for those who didn't have any wolf abilities to see. I was teamed with Paul of course, along with Jared, Kim, Sam and Emily and Seth. Bonnie was with Jacob, Quil, Embry, Leah, Brady and Collin.

The elder's along with the council cheered on the side as they enjoyed the food that Sue Clearwater prepared along with Emily and Leah. I was surprised that the boys didn't race for the food before the game, but even they would get cramps from all of the activity taking place. Everyone was enjoying themselves, and I had to admit that I was having a lot of fun too. I could have never expected to be adjusting to my new life so quickly. It felt so right.

Of course the pack grew hungry within twenty minutes of the game. Our team won with scoring the last goal. But it didn't seem to matter to anyone. For once, I wasn't as competitive as I usually was, and so was Bonnie. Like I said, we had fun.

It wasn't long before we found ourselves gathering around the fire, enjoying the food being served. I wasn't sure how I felt that Paul refused to let me get my own, preferring to serve me like all the other imprints. Apparently it was a custom that was followed within the pack. Being an imprint meant that we were to be catered to. Something I was sure that even Bonnie needed to adjust to. It wasn't like either of us to have to depend on someone else.

"Tonight we celebrate." Billy announced, receiving nothing but cheers from everyone around the fire. "Our histories can wait for another night, but tonight, we have another tradition to follow."

It quieted down for the man to continue.

"Never in our history have we been able to welcome two bonds at once," he continued, looking in my direction then in Bonnie's, "but also, it will be a first time that we welcome a unique bond such as Paul and his imprint Brandon Call, and if that wasn't enough, we have the privileges of welcoming two very powerful individuals. Bonnie Bennett and Brandon call are beings of magic, powerful witches that have come to our aid when we least expected it. It is with great gratitude that we celebrate their ability to be bring our people at peace."

The crowd cheered again, Paul boasting with pride as he held onto me.

"We have gathered here tonight to not only thank you for everything you've done." Sue Clearwater stood. "But to welcome you with open arms into our tribe. Your story will be told in our histories, a reminder of the man who came to save the life of the pack's most volatile brother." She gave Paul a smile, "also a reminder of the woman who came to save our alpha. Without your bravery, we could have faced a demise that we could have never predicted."

"The spirits have blessed us." One of the elder's spoke, I believed to be Old Quil as they called him, "because of that, we stand fully behind both bonds with support and appreciation. Even though we have questioned your connection," he looked in mine and Paul's direction, "we can only see the reasons for it. This young man has altered Paul's future to where he could not only survive, but to assure that the pack will no longer suffer either. The pack's brotherhood means just as much as any of their imprints, and that will remained sealed because of you." The elder nodded in my direction. "With honor and respect, welcome to the Quileute tribe."

Once again, everyone applauded.

"Miss Bennett." He turned to face Bonnie. "You saved the pack in more ways than one. Not only did you save our alpha, but you've brought him home where he belongs." He smiled with pride, "you and your brother didn't have to do what you did, but you did it without expecting anything in return. We can only continue to thank you for what you done. On behalf of the elder's and the council, we welcome you to the Quileute tribe. Let us celebrate this day."

Everyone cheered.

Surprisingly, I was greeted by people I hadn't even met. Each of them welcoming me and thanking me for everything. Paul stood next to me with pride, I could tell that he was gloating over the fact that I was with him.

"Did you expect it?" I turned to see Bonnie pull me in for a hug.

"Not a chance." I admitted with a chuckle. "What about you Bon?"

"It almost feels unreal."

"Well believe it or not Bonnie," Jacob snuck up behind her, pulling her into his arms, "it's as real as it gets."

"What's so hard to believe anyways?" Paul asked, wrapping his arms around me. "You're as perfect as they say."

"I would hardly say I was perfect," I argued, looking back at him as he grinned foolishly, "I'm still Brandon Call, witch in training, and crazy lunatic that doesn't know how to quit."

We both laughed, "you can say that again," Paul agreed, "but you're my lunatic."

"That's romantic," Bonnie teased. "what do you say we join the others?"

The rest of the night consisted of Seth and his friends bringing out their sound system, blaring the music to a point where the council and the elders took it as their cue to leave. I would've felt bad for them if they hadn't told us all to enjoy ourselves, seeing how we deserved it in their eyes.

Without hesitation, Paul pulled me to the group and wrapped his arms around my waist, practically forcing me to dance with him until the sun came up.

The whole night we danced until I grew tired. I think we were one of the first to leave along with Sam and Emily. We said our goodnights to the others as Paul led us back to his truck. It was great to see a smile on the man's face.

"Did you enjoy your night?" He asked sitting next to me in the driver's seat.

"I did." I admitted. "I just didn't expect to be welcomed in such a way. They thanked us and honored us."

"Why wouldn't they?" He said, "you tend to forget to see just how special you are Brandon."

"Me? Special?" I scoffed.

"You are." He stated bluntly. "You went against the odds when everyone questioned you. You saved my life when you didn't have to. You brought Jake back home and introduced him to Bonnie. But the thing I like most about you, the reason why I think you're so damn special, it's because you stayed. You gave me a reason to live my life. You gave me a purpose and you gave me a chance to love you the way you should be loved. I will never forget that."

"I don't know what to say." I muttered.

"You don't have to say a thing." He leaned in and kissed me, "but I love you won't hurt."

"I think you already know that I do." I smiled, "but because I haven't said it before."

I leaned forward and kissed him again, holding onto him as it deepened.

"I love you Paul Lahote."


End file.
